


The Sound Of Silence

by Lananiuska



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:15:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 31,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27875942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lananiuska/pseuds/Lananiuska
Summary: Regina Mills was sent to cover the biggest event in Storybrooke. It was another job, another story... another Christmas to be spent on her own. But what happens when everything goes wrong and she only has her camera man to help her through?
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood
Comments: 51
Kudos: 39





	1. The Party

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so this is my Advent Story gift for you. It will be a little bit of a ride with some angst and hard situations, but at the end it will all turn fine. Hope you enjoy and Happy Holidays!
> 
> Also, huge thanks to Tiffany, Morgan and Jess for the beta work, you guys are the best!

Robin Locksley was an asshole.

The kind of smug, arrogant asshole who thought too much of himself and who probably held the hubristic belief that he was God's gift to women close to his heart.

He was also too imprudent, cheeky, overconfident, and Regina couldn't even begin to explain how much it irked her to see him walking around with that lopsided smirk he was so fond of flashing her way. Yes... the one that would make her stomach feel like it was filled with butterflies and that would invade her thoughts in the most inopportune moments, making her face blush and her heart beat a little bit faster.

It was silly, the way she reacted to him, and it bothered her to no end to know that he knew what he was doing; that he was aware how much that smirk would destabilize her and that he kept doing it because of that.

He wouldn't say it out loud, and no, he wouldn't even act like it was on purpose, but she was pretty sure that he did it to ruffle her feathers, to make her react… because as she has come to realize, that was how Robin Locksley operated.

He was a silent instigator, one that pretty much liked doing things without making too much noise. He was stealthy in an almost predatory way, always vigilant even though he would wait until his prey would go willingly to him. It was only then, when he had everything within his reach, that he attacked.

He didn't hover, or push… hell, he wouldn't even make a first move without knowing that it was what was expected of him, and that was exactly what he was doing with her that night. He was luring her into his trap without saying a thing, using only the power of that smirk and that playful glint in his eyes as he looked at her… and as always, she was on the verge of falling for it.

It was in a way mortifying, because yes, she was always the one yielding, and even though she more often than not made sure not get too deep into her interactions with him (at least not since the time she somehow ended up kissing him silly), the fact remained that it was always her the one making that first approach and she hated it.

She hated him for it, and she hated herself… and yet there she was, making sure there was nobody around to witness _the_ Regina Mills, graceful, serious, always professional and emotionally detached from everyone at the news station, spectacularly falling from grace.

"You'll have to stop looking at me that way, Locksley."

Aware that she was the one making that initial approach once again, Regina bit into the inside of her lip, feeling antsy. She said the words as casually as she could though, her attention on the display of bruschettas arranged on the table standing between them.

It took her half a second to pick one and put it in her plate, and another one to lift her chin so that she could make eye contact with him. Brown on blue… and a stoic look on her face that nothing had to do with the fluttering feeling down in her belly that made an inopportune heat rise all the way to her face.

He always did that to her, always; and as he moved his head from left to right as if he wanted to make sure she was actually talking to him, she simply had to swallow on dry.

"I'm sorry, are you talking to _me_?"

"I don't see anyone else around here, now do you?"

Refusing to drop her eyes away from him, Regina pressed her tongue against the inside of her teeth, for some reason feeling unnerved by the way he had his entire attention on her now.

She also noticed that he was smirking… the damn asshole… or no, it was more like a pleased smile, the one that showed off those dimples that for some reason made her feel weak in the knees.

And for the love of God, did he really have to look so good?

Sure, it was the same ol' Robin but all cleaned up, and other than that, he didn't differ greatly from his usual look. However, there was something about him that night that was quite appealing to her.

She didn't know if it was because of the festive vibes all around, because of the way he was nicely dressed for their annual Christmas get-together at the station, or if it was all a direct effect to the fact that this was the first time in weeks she had him face to face...

Actually, it was the first time they interacted since that kiss, since she abruptly ended things with him, so yes, maybe that was playing a huge role in her reaction towards him.

"Well... I'm not looking at you any particular way… Mills." He said, his voice carrying the low undertones of his usual cockiness.

Arching an eyebrow because whether he admitted it or not, ever since she walked into the _party_ , he had been looking at her with the full intensity of those blue orbs of his as if he wanted to enchant her with them, Regina hummed, moving along the numerous catering tables lined up in the backstage area of their workplace, the SBB-TV station, more specifically, at the Channel 2 News' area.

She did that without any kind of rush, slowly moving from table to table, her gaze back to staring at the diverse array of food, but all her senses focused on the way he was basically walking along with her.

"Yes you are, and you know it."

Stopping in front of a huge charcuterie board, Regina looked at him almost challengingly, because yes, the man was once again using that uncanny ability of making her feel things she should definitely not be feeling, but she would rather be caught dead than let him know how much he actually affected her.

Yes, given the fact that at one point they had been flirting and exchanging some questionable texts, he probably knew she was attracted to him. What she didn't want him to know, was just how much.

He would use that to his advantage and she was at a moment in her life when her defenses were not exactly in the best of shapes… and when it came to dealing with Robin, that was a very dangerous thing.

She could easily end up succumbing to him and the growing tension that had been accumulating between them for the past several months, and she was sure that if something like that happened, it wasn't going to stop in a brief makeout session like last time.

No. With the night being young, an overwhelming feeling of loneliness suffocating her and the few glasses of wine she already had in her system, she would want more than what she got last time.

He probably would too, and that was something she couldn't let happen.

Not only because her career and reputation could take a hard blow if it was known that Regina Mills, the top news anchor in the whole region was messing around with one of the field camera men, but also because she couldn't and shouldn't try to alleviate her holiday blues with someone who could end up breaking her apart.

Innocent flirting was okay, especially since she knew he was discreet and with them not working together too often, people hadn't noticed a thing, but more than that was a huge no for her.

"Alright-" Using the edge of his teeth to lightly bite on his bottom lip, Robin blatantly lowered his eyes to scan her over. "So maybe I was looking at you; but can you blame me? You look absolutely stunning."

"Panderer." Watching as he returned his gaze to her eyes, Regina replied in her most detached tone, arching an eyebrow almost petulantly as the man smirked.

He looked pleased with himself and not at all affected by the way she was trying her best to act all distant with him.

It probably didn't matter to him, her fake attitude, at least not now that she once again opened that window of communication between them, the one she has kept closed ever since the infamous kiss.

"No, not a panderer, I'm just an honest bloke stating an opinion based on my perception. I thought that's what we did here, tell the truth?"

Quickly recognizing that he was taking a jab at her because those were more or less the words she threw in his face the last time they talked, Regina bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes glued to his as he looked back at her.

They did that for several seconds, but probably sensing her discomfort, Robin chuckled, biting his lips and taking the plate off her hands so that he could put some cold cuts on it.

"Here, try this. It's my second round so I know what I'm telling you, they are good."

Pursing her lips and lowering her eyes so that she could watch what he was doing with her plate, Regina said nothing.

"So how are you? It's been some time since you let your face be seen around us, the common folk."

Once again taking the jab, Regina clenched her jaw.

Yes, she has been evading him and pretty much giving him the cold shoulder for almost two weeks now, but she has made her reasons for it perfectly clear.

They couldn't keep doing whatever it was that they've been doing. No, because even though it was fun and exciting while it lasted, it was wrong, and risky, and the fact that they ended up making out in a company owned van after she just covered one of the most important stories of her career proved it.

Still, instead of pointing that to him again or even trying to fire back with a sarcastic comment of her own, Regina just shrugged. "I'm fine."

"Well I can see _that…_ " He said, his eyes full of mischief as he once again looked at her up and down. The way he smirked and bit on the corner of his lips, making it obvious that he was checking her out.

The attention made her feel flustered, especially because she picked that dress to wear in hopes that he would show up at the party and could see her in it; but wanting to save face, she rolled her eyes in fake annoyance. "That's awful. Does it work with all the women you try to woo?"

Taking a deep breath, the camera man's face lit up in full confidence. "I don't know, is it working with you?"

Tapping her fingers to her hip, Regina narrowed her eyes. She knew this was the moment she should use to tell him no, that it didn't work and that she would appreciate it if he stopped looking at her like he has been doing. She could also tell him that there was going to be no more texting, no more flirting and let alone kissing…

But instead of saying all of that like she should, the brunette just shrugged, her eyebrow raising and a small smirk of her own forming on her face. Once she did that, she grabbed her plate from his hands, turned around and started to walk away.

"You're killing me here, Regina, I hope you know that."

Biting down a smile, she looked at him over her shoulder, her eyes taking on the image of him and appreciating it. From the way he was standing tall behind that table, to how the long-sleeve shirt he was wearing gave a hint of his toned torso, and yeah, even the way he was smirking, once again having that playful look plastered all over his face that meant that he was not being all too serious.

Seeing him like that made Regina crack a little because this was Robin, and if she had to be completely honest with herself, she would have to admit that he was not really that much of an asshole.

A bit too overconfident? Maybe, but he was really no worse than that.

Now sure, she would rather use the rhetoric that he was not good at all because that way, it wasn't so hard to keep herself away from him.

Not like that worked, apparently, because for some reason, the pull he had on her was off the charts. That was why despite the repercussions this will probably have, as she was in a way encouraging him, Regina clicked her tongue to the roof of her mouth and said, "I know."

After that, she turned completely away from him and left the catering area.

That was all there was to that interaction, and for the next hour or so of the party, Regina tried to mingle as best as she could, fighting against the urge to just grab her things and leave.

She didn't. Earlier on as she was arriving at the building, she promised herself that she was going to stay there for at least three hours and that she was going to smile and play pretend that everything was perfect in her life. Sure, she knew it was going to be hard, especially with Robin around, but she refused to entertain the idea of going back to her apartment earlier than that to drown in her own sorrows.

She just needed to stay another forty five minutes, and considering that was less than half of the time she imposed on herself and that she'd already survived an encounter with Robin, things weren't looking so bad.

True, the fact that time kept running in her favor didn't keep from the burden that staying there really was, because being there was mostly uncomfortable. At least it was when it came to the company, as her fellow reporters were a bunch of envious-hypocrite pricks that would stab her in the back if that would grant them her spot at the top.

Long story short, she didn't like any of them, the same way they didn't like her. That was probably the reason why she was paying no attention to their idle talk and instead, she ended up every once in a while looking for Robin among the crowded space.

At times she would spot him talking animatedly with a few other camera men and technical workers, others he was back at catering stuffing his plate, and on other occasions, she couldn't find him at all.

There have even been a couple of moments where she would find him looking at her from whatever spot he was on, and that was exactly when she would feel the need to grab a new glass of wine… as the reality of her situation was that she couldn't deal with the pressure of his presence.

Two weeks was too much of a long time to be missing someone the way she has been missing him, and finally seeing him there was working sorcery in her. It was both overwhelming and comforting, and it was doing nothing in her but waking things she would have sworn she didn't feel or even want anymore…

But it was there, whether she wanted it or not, and that made her feel like she was back to square one, back to the very beginning of their whole story.

Closing her eyes for a second and remembering how she felt back in those early days, Regina scoffed, still not quite believing that it has been her the one who kind of pushed them into the wild ride they've been as of late…

**_6 Months Ago_ **

_She couldn't believe that she just called Robin Locksley._

_She really couldn't believe it..._

_Actually, if it wasn't because the man picked up on second ring, Regina would have sworn that this was all in her imagination instead of accepting that after months of silently pining for the man, she really ended up calling him._

_Of all the people back at the station, and ignoring the five hundred dollars a year she paid for roadside assistance, she actually went ahead and called him instead..._

_"Hello?"_

_'God', she thought in a little bit of a panic! Not quite believing what she just did._

_Scrunching her eyes tight shut, Regina pressed two fingers to her forehead because yes, it was real. She called and he was probably at the other side of the line, waiting for her to speak and wondering why she was ringing him._

_Taking that as a wake-up call to do something other than standing dumbly in the middle of the road, holding her phone to her ear and shivering with the coldness of the night, Regina cleared her throat, willing her voice to come out as neutral as it could._

_"Yes, um this is Regina Mills, from the station-"_

_"Yeah, I know who you are." He said at once, and even with the wind howling all around her, she could detect the amusement in his voice as he talked._

_It made her blush and feel ridiculous because of course he knew who she was; for heaven's sake, it may be true that they didn't work together too often, but that night he just spent at least an hour of his life filming her as she interviewed the Prime Minister of Storybrooke, and then the ride back to the station chatting with her about how the man was becoming creepier with each interview he gave. So clearly, the introduction has been unbelievable dumb._

_But what could she say when the fact of the matter was that somehow, someway, this man had gotten into her psyche in such a way that he would make her brain melt like this?_

_She liked him... a lot. On the few occasions they were put together, she had taken notice of him and yes, maybe she was a bit infatuated._

_Not like she would ever admit that out loud, as this was probably a fleeting feeling that would fade away with time. He was a nice daydream, an escape from her harsh reality… but definitely not someone she would actually pursue._

_For all she knew, this Robin Locksley was making her feel all kinds of funny because… well, because he was one of the few men she has encountered as of late who didn't look at her as if he had some kind of ulterior motive towards her, and that was refreshing._

_It didn't hurt that he looked the way he did because he was very easy on the eyes, but it was more than that. He was nice, easygoing... and probably all the good things her ex-husband turned out not to be and she guessed she was in a way clinging to that…_

_Yes, it had to be that, as she couldn't see any other reason for her to be so invested in a man she barely knew, especially in a moment in her life when she was too wounded to be feeling like this._

_Who knew? maybe it was that in the bubble she created for herself after having both her heart and her spirit broken, she was finding that innocently pining for Robin was new, and exciting, and with the way her life had gone to hell during the past year, maybe this absurd infatuation was her way of coping._

_Whatever it was, she didn't care, as she didn't plan on going after him. Actually, if she called him, it was because out of all of the men she knew to still be at the station, he was the only one she felt comfortable enough to call at one in the morning asking for help._

_"Hello, are you still there?"_

_Shaken back to reality by Robin's voice drilling into her mind, Regina cringed, realizing that she spaced out with him waiting on the other end of the line._

_"Yes, I'm still here. Um… I know I'm probably bothering you with this, but is there a chance you are still at the station?"_

_"It's no bother, and yes, still here."_

_Despite the neutral image she had been trying to portray, Regina chuckled. "Okay then, so… I kind of got a flat tire as I was leaving, and I'm not that far from-"_

_Before she could finish rambling, Robin interrupted her. "Got it, just tell me where you are and I'll be there in no time."_

_Sighing out loud in relief, Regina felt her heart hammering hard in her chest, and as she told him where she was, she started to feel all nervous about what she accomplished._

_It was ridiculous to feel that way, but it was what it was._

_Now, just like he promised, Robin got there in no time. Eight minutes to be exact, and he arrived with one of those dimpled smiles illuminating his whole face as he narrowed his eyes at her._

_'God', she thought as soon as he was close enough because she really had it bad. It was almost as if she was a schoolgirl standing in front of her first crush and not the very focused woman she always took pride in being._

_Damn Locksley… damn his for making her mind go to places they definitely shouldn't be going._

_"So what did you get yourself into here?" Robin asked, eyeing her car before looking back into her eyes._

_Puffing out a breath and crossing her arms to her chest to try and get a little warmer, Regina bit on her lips, her chin lifting as she tried to act as she has always done with him, professionally._

_"I don't know, I was driving and it just kind of burst..."_

_Turning on his phone's flashlight, Robin hummed, walking to the car and taking a thorough look at all four tires._

_"Well, it did blow out, and this one will too if you don't get it replaced soon."_

_Looking back at her, he touched the rear tire of the left side with the tip of his boot, his eyebrow raising as if he was pointing out something she should already know._

_Frowning because this was new information to her, Regina walked there and stared at the tire he was showing her, unsure of what she was looking at._

_"You see how the treads are all shallow and the cords are showing? That means the tire is worn and poorly aligned, and that's never good. It can blow out like the other one did, which is bad and in a way dangerous on its own, but it can also make your car hydroplane on wet and icy roads, because these bald tires won't be able to gain traction."_

_"Oh." Regina cringed, because that didn't sound good at all._

_Nodding his head, Robin twisted his lips. "Oh' is exactly right. So, you got a spare? I can at least change this one."_

_"Yeah." Shaking her head back to reality, Regina opened the trunk of her car._

_Robin took it from there, and smirking at her in a way she has never seen from him before, he grabbed the spare tire. "Why don't you wait in my car while I do this? It's freezing cold out here."_

_"No, it's okay." Sucking in a shaky breath because she didn't think it was fair for her to be warm and cozy while he was out there, Regina pursed her lips._

_"Well I would feel better if you did, so I have to insist. Besides, I need you to turn the headlights on, yeah? I would be able to see better that way."_

_Taking in a deep breath and fighting against the urge to tell him she didn't like to be babied, Regina blinked a couple of times, her lips pursing as she silently turned on her heels and walked to his car._

_Once she got to it, she climbed into the passenger's side and finding that the car was still running, she switched the headlights on. After that, she crossed her arms to her chest once again, watching as Robin began to work with her damaged tire._

_"I can't believe this." She said, the excitement she felt before turning into mortification, because she knew in that moment, that the wild impulse of calling him was going to turn against her._

_He probably thought she was this damsel in distress that needed rescuing now… and the thing with the tires being worn? Shit._

_Ah, but that didn't have to matter because after he was done, she only needed to take the car to a mechanic or something, tell him to fix all that needed to be fixed and that was it. Robin would be back to doing his thing, and she would be back to hers._

_Then, she would be able to go back at just daydreaming about him from afar…_

_Taking comfort in that, Regina relaxed a little, focusing instead on taking a look at the insides of the man's car. It was a nice one, not her Mercedes, but a nice one nonetheless; clean, modern and comfortable._

_Humming because she liked it, Regina took in all the personal details of it she could; like the Ray-Ban sunglasses in one of the open compartments, his AirPods' case on the dash, an old tune she recognized as 'The Sound of Silence' playing softly through the speakers and yes, she most definitely noticed the child's car seat in the backseat._

_There was also a dinosaur plushie thrown across the floor, a toddler's shoe, and a backpack full of toys sprawled all over._

_Biting on her lips because him having a kid was news for her even though she has wondered many times before, Regina arched an eyebrow, because this little information made her wonder about another question she had about him._

_Was he married? Did he have a girlfriend? He didn't wear a ring and she had heard nothing about that, but she wouldn't doubt that he had one, as not everyone was as damaged as her not to want to have a special someone..._

_"Alright-_

_Taken out of her thoughts by Robin opening the door and getting into the driver's seat, Regina jumped a little._

_"So I changed the tire and put on the spare, but you should get them all replaced and balanced as soon as possible. I don't know if that husband of yours ever told you this, but running your car like that can get you into a nasty accident. Make him work on that first thing in the morning."_

_Scrunching her nose and running a hand through her hair, Regina sucked in a deep breath and looked up to the sunroof of Robin's car._

_Sometimes she forgot that she had told no one at work about her divorce and that since she knew for a fact that Robin had known Daniel, as her ex used to parade through the station acting like he was the next big thing, he probably still thought they were together._

_"Yeah, well... I don't have a husband anymore so I guess this will fall on me."_

_"Oh."_

_Looking back at him and watching as he frowned in confusion, Regina noticed him taking a quick glance at the ring on her left hand, the one she wore whenever she had to interview the Prime Minister._

_"This is not even my old wedding ring." She chuckled, taking it off and swirling it around between her fingers. "But you know, it makes Blanchard act a little less creepy around me so I just..." She shrugged, thinking it wasn't necessary for her to finish that thought because he knew. Robin knew Blanchard as well as she did, and he was aware of how the man was half obsessed with her._

_Twisting his lips and lifting his eyes to her, Robin blew out a breath. "Well, I know a guy who can get you brand new wheels at a good price, and he can also tune your car up without ripping you off. Have you gotten the oil changed, the breaks checked?"_

_Chuckling despite herself because the only thing she had done to that car was putting gas in it, Regina pressed a hand to her forehead and shook her head. "No, I don't think I have."_

_Biting his lip and smiling his dimpled smile, Robin tilted his head to the right, his eyes never leaving hers and God, it was suddenly too hot in that car._

_He was also too close, and his eyes looked an impossible blue capable of entrancing anyone… or at least her._

_"I'll set you up with him then."_

_"Okay," She said, her eyes fixed on his and her insides turning to goo because being with him in his car, and having him look at her like he was doing was making her feel things…_

_It was crazy, but she honestly felt like she was burning from the inside out and she was sure her heart was beating so loud he could even hear it._

_But because turning into an idiot in his presence was the last thing she needed at that moment, Regina shook her head back to reality and clearing her throat, she forced out a smile._

_"Anyway, thank you for helping me with this… I really appreciate it."_

_"It was no problem at all, trust me; and you can call me anytime you want."_

' _Oh my God', she thought because his voice was so mellow she could faint, and that glint in his eyes? Oh, she was so screwed._

_Chewing on the corner of her lip, she blushed, and she was damn sure he noticed._

_"Well, I'll keep it in mind." She paused, and then rolling her eyes at how stupid that came out, she turned to open the door._

_She walked to her car without breathing, and it wasn't until she was safely behind the wheel that she felt like taking a deep breath._

_"What the hell was that, Regina?" She asked herself, wondering why she didn't call road assistance instead._

_The question kept tormenting her all the way as she drove to her apartment; it haunted her, following her even after Robin's car turned on an intersection three blocks before her own turn._

_It rolled in her mind as she took a shower and changed, and then when she was in bed, ready to sleep, it kept pulsing in her head._

_It was only then that she remembered something, and before it could slip from her mind, she grabbed her phone and texted him._

_First, she was going to thank him again so the favor didn't come as too abrupt, then she would tell him…_

_-Thanks again for the help._

_Putting the phone down, she waited to see if he would reply. He did, almost immediately._

_-It was no problem, really. Changing tires in the middle of the night is my hidden talent._

_Snorting at his silliness, Regina turned to her side, and gripping the phone tight, she started to type._

_-I noticed, you're a pro._

_Instead of replying properly, he sent her a smiling emoji, and taking that as her cue to get on with what she came to do, she went back to typing._

_He was probably tired and she didn't know if he had company, so she shouldn't be dragging this out anymore._

_-Will it be too much if I ask you not to tell anyone about my divorce? I don't really want that to be out there just yet._

_True, it was going to come out at one point or another, but for now, she didn't want all eyes to be on her._

_Robin read the message, but he didn't respond and instead, he went offline. That right there made her cringe and slap a hand to her face, hard._

_But then, the phone was chiming and it was a message from him._

_-Sorry, I was trying not to wake someone up here and I almost did. But yeah, no problem, I won't say a thing._

_Blowing out a breath because one, that was a relief and two, he pretty much told her he wasn't alone and in a way that kind of disappointed her, Regina bit her tongue hard._

_Still, she felt like pressing a little bit in a subtle way, because her curiosity was bursting._

_-Thanks, I really appreciate that. And sorry you almost woke your someone up because of me._

_It took Robin a little longer to respond to that, but when he did, he did it by sending a picture. It was of a little boy sleeping peacefully on a bed that seemed too big to belong to him, and he looked adorable._

_-This is my someone._

_Smiling and closing her eyes, Regina shook her head, because no… he couldn't send her that and pretend she didn't get all soft._

_He was also low-key making a statement, one where he was letting her know there was no wife or girlfriend, and even though she shouldn't care, knowing that made her feel good._

_-Is that your son?_

_-Yeah._

_-He's adorable._

_-Of course he is, he takes after me…_

**PRESENT TIME**

Opening her eyes again and biting hard on her lips, Regina ran a hand through her hair, realizing that even though six months have passed by since that night, she was still a sucker for Robin and everything he represented.

Yes, she tried to fight it, and she did all she could not get too deep into that charm he liked to use against her, but the truth was that it was hard. It was almost impossible not to see the man as a breath of fresh air when her reality was so set on suffocating her; and it was hard not to feel things when her interactions with him were the only thing that made her feel human.

He was the only person who could make her laugh, she would melt every time he told her a new anecdote about his son, and whenever there was something new and exciting going on at work, he was the first person she would call to talk about it.

She hated him for that, not necessarily because what he was doing was wrong, but because she didn't want to be so vulnerable... because she didn't want to feel like she wanted him.

But she did, especially after that night when it all began, because even though they had kept it light and innocent back then, things slowly started to add up until one good day, they were openly flirting via those messages.

Sometimes it was light and fun, other times they let it escalate a bit too much, and every time, Regina was left wanting more.

There were also a lot of indiscreet looks the few times they happened to run into each other at the station, there had been a few subtle touches here and there if they had to work together, and then there was the infamous kiss.

It was then that she knew they had to stop, and she told him that as soon as she could. Unfortunately, due to the horrifying deduction that she was falling for him, she probably didn't do it in the best of manners…

She told him that they couldn't talk anymore and when he asked why, she told him that it was because she wasn't going to ruin her career or reputation for him.

He had been taken aback by the harsh way in which she said the words, but that had been just a fraction of a second, because soon after, he was telling her that he didn't believe she meant that.

She didn't, really… but armoring herself against him, she made something up about how she was just keeping it honest, and that had been it. She had left him there, watching as she walked away.

Cringing at the memory because that wasn't one of her smoothest moments, Regina got to her feet, placing the empty glass of wine on one of the tables as she got ready to start walking around.

There were still thirty minutes left on the clock for her, but she guessed she could at least spend that time somewhere she could unwind on her own.

That was how she ended in a balcony at the other side of the party, looking through the crystal-clear window as she thought a little bit more about Robin and everything that never was but could have been with him.

"You look like a woman who needs a drink."

Gasping and quickly lifting her chin so that she could stare at the man who had followed her, Regina placed a hand to her chest, her fingers clutching a little at the fabric of her dress.

"Jesus, Robin. You scared the hell out of me." And he did, as she honest to God would have never imagined the man would go after her like that.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." Smirking in that way she couldn't resist, Robin lifted a hand towards her, offering her a glass of what she believed to be whiskey.

She took it, even though she shouldn't, watching as he got close enough to take a look out the window himself.

"You know, I never saw the logic of having a balcony with the windows all sealed. It kind of defeats the purpose of having a balcony at all, don't you think?"

Putting the glass to her lips and taking a sip, Regina shrugged. When the amber liquid went down her throat, she spoke.

"I don't think logic is a thing you will find here at Storybrooke. I mean, they built a gigantic clocktower that has never worked."

"I guess you're right. They also have the pawn shop next to the church and that always looked kind of shady to me." As if they have never stopped talking like this, even if their conversations had been mostly on the phone or via text messages, he winked at her, drinking from his glass as he eyed her over.

"What do you want, Robin?" She asked, straight to the point and faking a bravado that was not in her.

"Well-"

Putting his glass down and then taking a step closer to her, Robin took her glass too, putting it aside. Once that was done, he shrugged, fixing his eyes on her.

"I want to talk to you."

Blinking one and then two times as his closeness was making her feel on edge, Regina lifted her chin. "You know we shouldn't talk here. The last thing I need is for people to start gossiping about us being here too long."

Licking on his lips, Robin nodded, but instead of retreating as she had been expecting, what he did was get even closer.

"They are all drunk, they won't even notice us being here a minute or two."

"Two minutes is too long, I don't want to take my chances." And yes, she knew she should be more direct and simply tell him there was nothing to talk about, but this was Robin...

"Then where can we go? Because Regina, I think you and I have plenty to talk about."

Regina's lips parted, but there was no sound coming out of her, she just stared deep into his eyes as he got closer and closer.

He ended up with his face so near she could feel his breath on her mouth, and that wasn't supposed to be happening.

"If you want to, we can go somewhere less crowded, yeah?"

Oh, of course he was going to suggest that.

Actually, she should have seen that coming because this wasn't the first time he would try to get her alone, as he had numerous times invited her out. He would try his luck every now and then, especially when their flirting got out of hand and he knew she was weak for him.

She always declined though, citing the numerous reasons why they shouldn't, and this wasn't going to be the exception.

Or at least she hoped it wouldn't.

But the truth was that it was one thing to tell him no through a text, and a very different one to say no to him when he was so close and smelling so good… when his breath was tickling against her face in a way that made her want to close the distance between them to kiss him.

It would be so good… to have his lips on her like the other time, to feel his hands firmly grab her waist to pull her closer, and her own hands in his hair, sliding over his shoulders while his kiss made a mess out of her.

It would be good for his palms to press over her ass too, lightly at first and then grabbing her harder, and his tongue sliding against her own in that way that blew her mind last time they met one on one...

"What do you say?" He asked almost in a breath, his nose pressing against hers and then his mouth sliding over her cheek.

Regina let him do that, her eyes closing as his lips moved down her neck, raining soft kisses along her skin that made her feel like trembling.

"Can we do that?"

Lifting her head and giving him room so that he could continue kissing a path down the column of her neck and then right under her jaw, Regina held herself to him, wishing she could just give in.

And really, would it even be such an awful thing if she left the party with him? If she let him take her where nobody knew so that they would get this need for each other out of their systems once and for all?

No. She couldn't do such a thing, and remembering what could happen if she opened up to someone and how bad it could end, Regina opened her eyes, staring over his shoulder as he kept doing his thing.

"Robin… I don't think this is a good idea."

Puffing out a breath and placing his hands to her hips, Robin looked at her, his clouded blue eyes digging… searching for a way to appeal to her.

"Why not?"

Letting her hands slide down his chest, the brunette shrugged. "You know why."

Chuckling in a way that came out more exasperated than amused, Robin quirked his lips.

"Actually I don't, Regina, and trust me, I've had this thing in my mind for a while now, and I've been trying to figure out what I did wrong and why are you like this. But as much as I think of it, I still don't know why you are pushing me away. Is it because we kissed? Because I touched you?"

Dropping his hands away from her and taking a step back, his brows furrowed.

"Look, if I stepped over the line that night or even right now, I'm sorry. And if you don't want us to kiss again then fine, we won't, but I think we deserve to at least clear the air between us."

Feeling something tugging at her heart, Regina blew out a breath. She wanted to go with him, and she wanted to tell him that this was not on him but on her.

But she couldn't, the words were stuck down her throat and all she could do was shake her head no.

"Shit, Regina… we'll just talk. It doesn't even have to be about what happened. I just... I miss talking to you, I miss my friend, so can't we at least have that? We can even text if it makes you feel more comfortable, I'll go and look this way and you'll look that way. Is that better?"

Closing her eyes because if she let her sight linger a second longer into those blue eyes of his she was going to give in, Regina breathed out. "It's not that I'm uncomfortable."

"Then what is it? You know you can talk to me. I mean… we're still friends, aren't we?"

"No."

As soon as the word was out, Robin's face fell, and for a split second, Regina felt like she needed to take it back.

Especially when he scoffed humorlessly, running a hand down his face as if he wanted to take a moment to absorb what she just said.

"Wow…" He said at last, dropping his hands to his sides.

In that moment, seeing him look so defeated, Regina felt like reaching to him. She felt like she should drop her walls and finally tell him what was really going on... like she should be completely honest with him and just talk her heart out. But before she could open her mouth, her phone started to ring and glad for the distraction, she grabbed it to see who it was.

It was her producer, and finding it odd that he was calling her right in the middle of the party, she frowned.

"It's Archie."

If Robin held the same questions that she had, he didn't show it. He did however, look at her phone when it kept ringing.

Shaking her head, she answered, her voice a bit raspy as she spoke, her skin all flushed and burning.

"What is it, Archie?"

"Listen, I'm not sure if you are still at the station, but if you are not, you better get in here right now."

This time, Robin did arch an eyebrow, as he probably heard the man's command.

"Why, what happened?"

"It's the Prime Minister, he wants to make a public announcement and as always, he wants you to be the one who conducts the interview. Regina, whatever it is, it's going to be huge and we are going to be the ones airing it live. So wherever you are, I need you here in ten minutes."

Not giving her time to respond that she didn't even have a bra on to go and chat with the Prime Minister, Archie hung up on her, leaving Regina standing there with a bad feeling growing in her stomach.

She only came back to herself when Robin's own phone started to ring, but then he showed her who it was and the feeling only became stronger.

It was Archie, and that meant that he was going to send them both to Leonard Blanchard… and God only knew what was the man planning now…


	2. The Kiss

**Two Weeks Ago**

_"Did you see the look on his face when you straight up asked if he considered himself a Royalist?"_

_Swallowing down the rest of her Kombucha tea while arching one of her eyebrows, Regina Mills tilted her head to the right so that she could take a look at what Robin was doing, her eyes taking in the ease in which he manipulated the control panels on the production van as if he had been doing it all his life._

_It was a thing she rarely witnessed, this off-camera aspect of the business, but when she was sent out to the field, she always paid more attention to it just because it was a delight to see Robin work his craft._

_It was also nice to be able to see him live and in color every now and then instead of him being this faceless person she texted and talked to on the phone from time to time, as having him up close and personal was her biggest guilty pleasure. Not only on a personal level, but also professionally._

_Yes, the flirting, the subtle touches when he was helping her clip a lavalier microphone to the back of her shirt and the many indiscreet looks passed between one another was thrilling and it made her feel alive; but also, it was more than that._

_As the workaholic that she was, it was simply refreshing to work with someone who didn't drag his feet to do what needed to be done, and it also didn't hurt to feel safe working with him._

_That last one was very important to her, especially because they were basically teamed up exclusively whenever she had to interview the Prime Minister, a man that made her skin crawl no matter how many times he requested for her to go and interview him. So having Robin there every single time was a relief, as she wasn't sure she would be able to stomach those interviews if it wasn't for his presence._

_But her discomfort with Leopold Blanchard was a tale for another day, and she was going to focus instead on the moment of victory where she ended up cornering the man earlier that night._

_"I know, he kind of froze on the spot for a second there, huh?"_

_Apparently done with hooking cables and pressing buttons, Robin turned to her, the lopsided grin on his face making him look less tired than he probably was._

_"He did, and it was gold how you didn't give him time to recuperate and went right for the jugular. You killed him out there, Mills, and right on camera for the whole world to see."_

_Mills…_

_Twisting her lips as she picked on the way Robin called her by her last name, something he only did when he was on a professional high or when he wanted to tease her, Regina hummed, straightening her back against the chair as her eyes found his._

_He was looking right back at her, his eyes shining so bright she could get hypnotized by them._

_He was teasing her… that was what his eyes were saying._

_Which meant that right in that moment, she could say something about how he properly addressed her, and he would fire back with one of his flirty retorts so that she could follow suit..._

_Who knew what they could get out of it, as they had never done that face to face. But taking into consideration all of the flirting they had been doing by text in the last several months, they were probably going to end up on some interesting grounds._

_She knew, because that kind of back and forth was more or less how they always started their more risqué exchanges and that night, with her adrenaline still pumping through her veins and with all her senses on high, she was feeling in the mood for some teasing._

_But instead of starting that exchange, Regina continued with the subject at hand because truth be told, she was still on cloud nine after the revelations she managed to get out of the most important man in the country._

_"I wasn't even that hard on him. I was just starting, then he just went on talking and the more he talked, the more he put his foot right on his mouth. I just egged him a little."_

_Robin chuckled. "A little? He ended up confessing he was a bloody Royalist, and that if it was up to him, we would be bowing down to a King and Queen, and he would have us paying the most ridiculous high taxes so that they could give their corgis pawdicures or whatever, and for them to wipe their arses with… I don't know, gold napkins."_

_Leaning a bit forward so that she could be closer to him, Regina rested a hand on his knee, something she has never done before but definitely something he didn't repel._

_"Don't forget that it wouldn't be any King, but King Leopold."_

_"King Leopold the Creep." Robin added and for some reason, they both snickered._

_Now, despite her initial hesitation of letting herself be swept off her feet by this man, Regina couldn't deny at this point that it was nice, this camaraderie with him, as she has never been so close with anyone from the station, let alone with someone she rarely worked with._

_They were almost never in the same place at the same time, as Robin was more of a field camera man and she was the anchor of the evening news. He was where the news was happening while she was the face people got to see at home._

_They were just paired together when the Prime Minister wanted to address the country or when he felt like he was fading out of people's minds and wanted to remind them of his existence by conceding an interview, and unfortunately for her desire to see Robin more often, that didn't happen all of the time._

_But that night was one of those nights, and she was glad as she was feeling edgy and more daring than ever._

_She didn't know if it was because Christmas was close, and unlike the previous years she was feeling more like herself, if it was because she was tired and her defenses were far too low, or even if it was because Robin was looking so good; but the thing was that she was feeling kind of frisky._

_"No, but seriously, you were right in telling him that that kind of statement is not only irresponsible but dangerous, because let's be real, he's a direct descendant of a line of long-dead kings and his words can be taken as a call to those Royalist extremists we have hidden in this country."_

_Regina nodded because she got the same impression, and given the fact that she was sure it was the Royalists the ones who put such an insignificant man in charge of the country, him identifying as one of them was no good at all._

_His words could be taken as a call, as an encouragement for these groups to start coming out from their hiding places._

_The last time that group came out of the shadows was in a failed attempt at taking over the country by overthrowing both the Prime Minister and the Parliament, starting a civil war that almost destroyed them as a nation, and they couldn't have a repeat of that._

_Thousands of lives had been lost, the Prime Minister was killed, and they entered an economic crisis that was still affecting half the Country._

_All of that happened way before Regina was even born, but her father always talked to her about how scary it had been, because the Royalists had a militia, they had the numbers, and they had a so-called King._

_A King that nobody should forget, had been Leopold Blanchard's father. So no, this bomb that the Prime Minister just dropped, shouldn't settle well with anybody in the country, and by this hour, they should all be questioning how it was that he ended up where he was right now._

_A man with so-called 'royal blood' sitting on the highest position? It was dangerous, and people were failing to see it._

_The only good thing to come out of the admission was that the Parliament was going to be on the lookout when it came to him, and no doubt they were going to make their own investigation. All because of what came out of her cornering Leopold into admitting his association with such a group, and she was damn proud._

_"You know, I still don't know why he asks for me to do these interviews, as he never comes out looking good in any of them."_

_Snorting and leaning forward until he was very close to her, Robin smirked in that way that would cloud her judgement so bad._

_She was also able to breathe in his scent with him so near, and her nose detected that at some point during the day, he probably put on some cologne. It was almost faded now… but that only made him be more alluring to her, somehow, which was so good…_

_"My take? He's a masochist, and his kink is you cornering and humiliating him on national TV."_

_Swallowing on dry because his voice came out low, raspy and damn sexy, Regina narrowed her eyes, very aware that her hand was still on his knee._

_"He also likes to ogle you. I've seen him do it and I'm pretty sure he's fixated on well… your arse."_

_Regina rolled her eyes, but just because Robin was not the first person to tell her this. Her sister once pointed out to her the fact that the so-called Prime Minister blatantly checked her out all the time while on camera, and even though she refused to watch the tapes, she very much believed it._

_Leopold was creepy that way, and apparently, he was not afraid to show it._

_"That's nasty."_

_Biting on the corner of his lips and lowering his eyes to her hips, Robin chuckled. "Well, that depends on who you ask, because Ms. Mills, a lot of people are fixated on your arse. Trust me, not like I participate in such talks, but I hear it all the time."_

_Arching an eyebrow because her ass wasn't exactly a new subject between them and even once when they were a little over their head with their flirting, she ended up sending him a picture of that part of her anatomy, Regina scoffed… her cheeks aflame because really, what the hell had she been thinking when she sent him that?_

_That event happened a couple of months back, and yes, she guessed she did it because back on that specific night, their bold back and forth was making her feel all hot and bothered. Then Robin had been sending her those voice messages he liked sending, and his voice had been so low and throaty that he got her blood boiling in no time._

_So yes, she did it. She changed into some nice red lacy panties, made sure to get a nice angle that wouldn't show her face, and then she sent him the picture._

_It had been risky, and new to her because in the field she worked, those pictures getting exposed could be a career killer, so she had never done it, not even with her ex-husband._

_Yet, with Robin she did it, without being asked, and it had been thrilling to see his reaction._

_Ever since, they became a bit bolder with each other in their talk, with her telling him things she has never told anyone and with Robin never missing a chance to tell her whatever was on his mind._

_Now they were here, face to face, and she was starting to feel the same kind of boldness she had been feeling on the night she sent the photo._

_"You're telling me you've heard people talk about my ass? Wow… should I dare ask who and when, exactly?"_

_With his eyes full of mischief, Robin just smiled. "Everyone, all of the time."_

_Reciprocating his low tone, Regina set her eyes on his, a novelty she couldn't do when they were texting. "How about you, have you discussed it with anyone?"_

_"Well, that's a pretty tricky question. I would never talk about it with anyone but you, but I have thought about it… a lot."_

_Yes, she knew… since he flat out told her how much he has enjoyed that picture._

_It was on his phone, locked, and sometimes when he couldn't sleep, he would look at it, imagining how good it would be to have a nice squeeze out of it…_

_Or at least, that's what he would say from time to time._

_"Really… and what is your verdict? Is my ass worth ogling?"_

_Laughing a rich raspy laugh that made her breath halt for a moment, Robin licked his lips, his eyes falling heavy on her. "I think I should have a real good look at it to know for sure, don't you think?"_

_Feeling more than a little playful and definitely way out of her head, Regina hummed; then, getting up to her feet, she stood right in front of him, slowly turning around until her back was to him._

_"A real good look like what, this?" Biting hard into the inside of her cheek as she knew that with him sitting, her backside was basically in his face, the brunette held her breath._

_"Well… shit." Robin said and as she pushed her leg forward and turned her ass even more into him, she could hear him sucking in a hard breath._

_It made her feel encouraged and appreciated, and the feeling was too good to ignore._

_"Is that a yes?"_

_"That's definitely a yes."_

_Looking back at him over her shoulder, Regina smiled in satisfaction, and feeling bolder than what she has ever acted with him while in person, she pursed her lips. "Wanna touch?"_

_Now, was that a bit too much? Maybe, but she was feeling all hot and tingly so screw it. She has been talking to this man for the good part of the last half year and it was Robin… so what if they ended the night with him having that squeeze he once told her he was dying to have?_

_"Can I?"_

_"If you want to."_

_Robin scoffed, and before even saying another thing, he helped himself to pressing both his hands to her ass. It was light at first, he just touched, rubbing his palms a little against her. But then, when he apparently was sure she was okay with it, he grabbed her, squeezing her flesh and kneading a little._

_"Well?"_

_Letting his thumbs slide right under her ass-cheeks and tracing the outline of her curves over the soft fabric of her dress, Robin groaned._

_The sound made Regina's inside melt, and she wondered if he would dare pull the dress a bit higher up or if his fingers would venture a little further down the road so that he could touch right between her legs._

_Unfortunately for her already flaring libido, he never did more than that._

_"Well… you do have a nice arse, Regina."_

_More than a little edgy and ignoring the fact that she was probably going to regret this later on, she turned back around, facing him and making Robin's hands slide up a little so that they ended up on her hips._

_"You know, one day, you'll have to return the favor and you'll have to let me touch you."_

_"You want to touch my ass?" He chuckled, his chin lifting up so that he could look at her._

_Shrugging and rolling her eyes in fake indifference, Regina sighed. "It's only fair. I can't be the only one giving here, the photo, the touching…"_

_Laughing but never taking his hands off her, Robin got up to his feet, making her eyes grow a little wider when she realized he was way too close. So close she could feel his breath on her face._

_Sure, a moment ago he has been touching her in ways that were far from friendly and that had been in a way too intimate, but for that she didn't have to face him._

_Now she did, and the effects of his eyes on her and his body too close, were making her feel on the verge of falling over the edge._

_"Alright then... not like you will find much there but yeah…"_

_Biting down the smirk that wanted to break out of her lips because the whole thing was silly, Regina took on the invitation, her arms going around him so that she could touch him._

_It was tricky because his jeans were not letting her have a nice feel and because he had something that felt like a wallet in his back pocket that was inconveniently in the way, but she guessed it was alright._

_It was nice, but albeit too risky if she really wanted to keep their interactions light; but with his hands burning through her clothes and his eyes digging so deep into hers, she felt like she didn't want to stop._

_"Well?" Robin asked, mimicking her previous question and smirking down as his eyes danced over her face._

_Lifting her chin up, she was going to throw a comment about the damn wallet, but as soon as she found herself staring deep into his eyes, her brain turned to goo and whatever she was going to say was lost to her._

_She ended up kissing him instead, her lips pressing against him in a light probing contact that lasted way too short. She didn't even have time to enjoy it or even engrave the feeling in her mind, as she was half shocked by her own actions._

_She kissed Robin. After six months of talking to him and all the mutual pinning and no action, she actually kissed him… and right after she had him touching her._

_Pulling back and with her heart thundering wildly inside her chest, Regina looked at him almost expectantly, her gaze lost into the ocean blue of his eyes._

_"Alright… with this thing of being fair and all, I'll say it is my turn now?" He added, the low undertones of his voice reaching so deep into her it went straight to her gut._

_But then, before she could even respond, his lips were on her, pecking her a couple of times before pressing more firmly._

_It was nice and in a way tender, and it surprised her that he was such a sweet kisser, or that he was letting her get used to him first._

_But then, when it was obvious that she wasn't going to pull away, his mouth searched for hers a bit more insistently, his tongue brushing lightly against her lips… seeking for a way into her mouth that she easily provided._

_It was that way, with her lips parting and his tongue sliding against hers, that Regina melted into the sensation, giving back all she was receiving._

_She kissed him the same way he was kissing her, with all her nerves on edge and her breathing catching on her throat, and it was so good._

_Actually, it was addicting, the feeling of his mouth against hers, the taste of whiskey in his tongue, the scent of his cologne..._

_Lost in the moment, she ran her hands up his spine, sliding up and up until her fingers were buried into his hair. That seemed to pull a trigger in him because humming into her mouth, he pulled her closer, his hands sliding to her ass as she fell victim to all the repressed feelings she has been nurturing inside of her for so long; because yes, it was in that moment that she knew…_

_Not that she had much time to dwell on it, because just when he lifted her up against the panel board, his hips sneaking right between her legs and the delicious friction of his not so subtle erection pressing against the heat right at her center, the door of the van began to open and the two of them had to quickly pull apart._

_It was Archie, and even though her cheeks were burning and her lipstick had faded with Robin's kiss, he remained oblivious to everything that happened in there._

_He was focused and beaming over the feedback they were getting over the interview, and as they made their way back to the station, that was all he talked about._

_Meanwhile, Regina had a lot to think about as she silently rode in the back of the van._

_By the time they reached their destination, her mind was made up._

_She couldn't keep doing what she was doing with Robin anymore, and she shouldn't have encouraged or pushed for them to end up where they were right in that moment…_

_No, she was being pulled too deep, and that was going to make things worse for her when he ended up realizing that she wasn't someone worth pursuing, when he found out how broken and damaged she was… how less of a woman._

_That was a situation she was not going to live again. No. She barely made it through the first time it happened to her, the first time she was discarded like an old cardigan for not being able to do what was expected of her, and if that happened with Robin, it was going to destroy her._

_That was the reason why she pushed him away when he smugly walked after her once they arrived, why she lied and told him they couldn't keep interacting anymore and how it was because of her career and how she couldn't let him ruin it._

_That insecurity and low self esteem about who she was and what she lacked when it came to bringing things to the table, was the reason why, seeing the confused look on his face as she told him off, she turned her back on him and swore to herself never to talk to him again..._

**Present Time**

"I have a bad feeling about this."

Chewing hard on her lips as she took a quick peek out of the slightly open door of the Channel 2 production van, Regina Mills sucked into a deep breath, her eyes narrowing as she strained them, trying to see through the darkness of the night if she could spot where the hell was Archie.

He had been out too long, almost twenty minutes since he went out to make the arrangements with the Prime Minister's security personnel so that they could be cleared to enter the palace, and by all rights, he should have been back already.

But he wasn't, and something about that fact, along with the way Leopold Blanchard all of a sudden decided to make an announcement two days before Christmas, when the Parliament was in recess and half the country was high with the upcoming celebrations, didn't settle well with her.

"I tried reaching my contact inside the palace to see if he can tell me what this is all about, but I'm still waiting for a reply."

Closing the door and turning around, Regina ventured to take a look at Robin, watching the way in which he was too engrossed preparing his equipment to properly look at her. He was also looking way too serious, like she had never seen him before, making her wonder if he was cross with her.

She wouldn't be surprised if he was, given how she had been ignoring him and acting like he hadn't been asking her to please have a talk with him before they got the call from Archie, and that right there made her feel awful.

The last thing she wanted in this world was to hurt him or even make him feel bad, but at the same time, she couldn't open a window for her to be the one hurting by humoring him.

Because yes, let's say she talked to him and she ended up giving in. What would happen then? What was she going to do when she got her hopes all up only to have him drop her as soon as she opened up completely to him?

She was going to end up feeling devastated, like she was not enough and that was something she wasn't looking forward to. So, for her own sake, she had to keep on with her promise of keeping her distance, and if he got mad with her because of that, then so be it.

"I think we should go in.

He's probably waiting for us inside."

"Probably, so yeah… let's get going." After working some buttons and connecting some cables to the panel, Robin grabbed his stuff, got to his feet and with his lips twisting, he almost walked past her.

It was Regina the one who had to stop him, and she did it by basically getting in his way. "Could you help me with this?"

Holding her breath and lifting up the mic that was supposed to be clicked to the back of her clothes, she looked up at him, her eyes feeling too wide as he set his own stare on her.

The exchange was for just a second though, because as soon as he grabbed the mic in his hand, Regina turned around so that he could clip it in place.

He did it carefully, and even if she wasn't looking, Regina could feel his hesitance not to touch her inappropriately. There was nothing of his hand being placed on her hip or to the small of her back as he had been doing these past few months, there was no brushing of her hair over her shoulders, and definitely no whispering in her ear once he was done.

He wasn't even taking advantage of the way her dress left most of her back exposed, and that was so unlike Robin… to miss an opportunity to touch her.

"Are you mad at me?" She asked despite herself, hating how she was so weak for him that she couldn't stick to her stupid promise even if it was for an entire night.

Taking in a deep breath, Robin finished with her. "Nah, I'm good."

Turning around and calling what he just said bullshit in her mind, she pursed her lips, her eyes finding his again. "You're lying to me."

Arching an eyebrow, Robin scoffed, the tip of his tongue running smoothly against his lips. "Oh, I'm the one lying now? That's rich, Regina. Very rich coming from you."

Somehow feeling attacked and suddenly on the defensive, the brunette twisted her lips. "Excuse me?"

Blowing out a breath, Robin lifted a hand and waved her off. "Let's leave it here, really."

Regina knew she should do as he said and leave it there, as it was best to just forget all of what went on between them and move on. But the truth was that she couldn't.

Even if she tried to ignore it and make excuses about how he was an asshole, she was already too deep into this, and despite all of her attempts to play this as if it was nothing, her reality was that she cared… too damn much.

"No, if you want to say something to me then go ahead and do it."

He wanted to go and say she was a bitch? Good, because she really felt like she was, and if saying that made him feel better then she was going to take it.

But he didn't say it. He just stood there, blinking slowly. "Why should I when you will just ignore it and pretend it didn't happen?"

"I've never ignored anything you've said to me…"

"Yes, you have, Regina." He blurted out, his mood more than obviously rotten. "You ignore it and you play it down. I'm always the one saying what I want, and the one who means what he says, and all for what?"

Closing her eyes for a second, she shook her head, getting ready for the lies to start spewing out of her mouth.

He didn't give her time to do it though, and before she could even blink, he was back at it.

"You know where I stand and what I want because I've always been honest with you, so don't you say I'm lying when you are the one who can't stand in front of me, look at me in the eye and tell me what is really going on. You don't want anything to do with me? Fine, I won't push it on you, but at least own it Regina, and don't just put this act of being nice and shit just because you think it will sting less."

Swallowing on dry, Regina's face fell. She didn't know how to respond to that, so she remained silent.

"Yeah, I figured that this was exactly what you were going to say:, nothing. Now can we go and get this damn interview over with?"

Clenching her jaw and watching as he walked by her side so that he could get out of the van, Regina pressed a hand to her forehead, her fingers rubbing her skin hard as a deep void settled deep inside of her. Not only because Robin was mad, but also because she didn't like one bit how it felt to be at the other end of him feeling like that.

But it was better for him to be mad than for her to feel crushed, so dropping her hands to her sides, she decided to do what she came to do, which was work.

With that in mind, she walked after him, locking the van and securing her earpiece in her hand, because whether she liked it or not, it was show-time.

TBC


	3. The King

"By direct order of the Prime Minister of Storybrooke and the Rightful Keeper of all its adjacent territories, the only person allowed to walk through this gate is Ms. Mills, no one else."

Furrowing her brows as the words slowly started to register in her brain, Regina did a double take, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the bearer of such an announcement with the full intensity of her chocolate brown orbs.

It was odd… all of it, from the way he said she was the only one who could enter, to the manner in which he referred to Leopold.

'The Rightful Keeper of what?'

"Excuse me?" She asked with a dry chuckle, as she honestly got lost in translation for a moment.

"Come on mate, I have to set up this equipment if there's going to be a live broadcast of this message Blanchard wants to put out there, so why don't you just let us go ahead with this already?"

At Robin's words, the guard remained relentless, unyielding, his face a stoic mask that gave nothing away, not even when Regina was sure they were both staring daggers at him.

"I don't think you get it. I have to go in with my crew, like I always do. So go check again and you'll see that we both have a pass." She said firmly, lifting her chin up in a defiant manner as the guard keeping the gate that led into the Prime Minister Mansion quirked his lips.

He didn't seem to mind her words though and suddenly feeling like there was something fishy going on with the uncommon request of having her enter alone, her eyebrow arched.

"There's nothing to check, I know what my orders are."

'No,' She thought, definitely not liking this new turn of events. They had been going to that palace at least once a month for the past couple of years, and never before had such a request been made.

It was ridiculous… and inopportune that of all the nights this could have occurred, it was happening when Robin was cross with her and Archie was nowhere to be found.

Sure, at least Robin was doing his part by insisting that he needed to go in with her, but she was sure he was going at it from a professional perspective. He needed to set up his equipment and do his thing in order for the station to transmit Blanchard's message, so him stepping in didn't necessarily mean that he wanted to prevent Leo from getting her one on one.

He probably just wanted to get everything over with, the interview, Leopold, her...

That right there made her feel alone and unprotected, and despite the fact that she was doing her best to try and switch off any trace of their personal issues and instead turn on her reporter mindset, she couldn't help but feel Robin's attitude stab her right where it hurt her the most.

But not wanting to go down that rabbit's hole of feeling beat up, Regina kept her chin up and insisted a bit more. "Well, I either go in with my crew or I don't go in at all."

"The instructions are clear. The pass is just for Ms. Mills." The man repeated, his voice robotic, his expression bored.

Pushing the inside of her cheek with the tip of her tongue as she tried not to lose her patience, Regina tilted her head to the side, her eyes automatically searching for Robin. She did that by instinct, for a moment forgetting they were not exactly on the best of terms.

Not like that mattered, as she quickly found him standing a couple of steps behind her, staring right back at her.

Now yes, even though she was sure the man was still upset with her, the way in which his eyes bore deep into her own as he shook his head no, was clear enough.

It came as a relief, because without uttering a word, he was letting her know that their personal issues didn't matter in that moment and that he was going to stand by her. He was saying with those eyes, that there couldn't be any negotiation and definitely no bargaining with the terms she plainly put out there.

They were going to go in together, and if they couldn't, they were going to drop the interview.

Feeling like she just dropped a thousand pounds of dead weight off her shoulders, Regina nodded.

Maybe Archie wouldn't agree with their decision later on, and Gold was going to throw a fit once he found out she walked out of an interview with the Prime Minister, but it was what it was.

"Come on, we're leaving." She told Robin, her chin high and her voice carrying a determination that spoke volumes.

With that said, she turned on her heels and started to walk away.

It was only when they were a good distance away, that she ventured to take a look at Robin once again, this time her gaze lingering on him as she tried to see if he had the same bad feeling she was having.

He did… or at least she thought he did, if the pronounced frown on his face as he used his forefinger to stab the screen of his phone was any indication.

"Where the bloody hell is that gormless knob head?" Walking along with her, Robin hissed under his breath, juggling between carrying his work equipment and trying to contact Archie at the same time.

He was ignoring her, that was easy to see, because the Robin she had come to know would have been talking her ear off about all of the odd things going on back there instead of working on his phone as if his life depended on it.

But going over her head and wanting to put her thoughts out there, she went ahead and spoke.

"We should have recorded that, make everybody listen to what Leopold has his personal security guards call him. Did you hear it? The Rightful Keeper of whatever, as if it was a noble title."

With his eyes still on the phone and his fingers working on it, Robin hummed. "I think it's clear the man lost his marbles; that or he has something big cooking in there. Did you see how many guards were behind that gate and that suspicious little crown on their uniforms?"

Glad that he replied even though he wouldn't look at her, Regina sighed. And yes, she did notice the coat-of-arms in the uniforms. It was part of her job to take in those details, the same way it caught her attention seeing how busy everyone seemed to be. But...

"Big like what? What is he up to?" Regina asked, more to herself than to Robin.

She didn't have enough time to come up with a theory of what Blanchard was trying to do though, because with the sound of her heels on the pavement echoing through the night as they headed back to the van, the guard opened the gate and called them back.

"You got the green light for the camera man, so make haste and come in."

Narrowing her eyes and immediately freezing in her tracks, Regina felt all the muscles of her body tense.

"You'll be escorted by the head of the palace security; he'll give you the specifics of how this is going to work."

Humming and turning his eyes to Regina, Robin said nothing.

Oh, but he wanted to, she could read it in his eyes. What she didn't know was if he was holding back because he was still mad at her, or if he didn't want to say anything with the guard so close.

Not knowing what to say or what to think, she just looked back at him, a deep sense of doom eating her inside out.

She wasn't sure about him, but pushing aside the sour way in which whatever relationship there was between them kept deteriorating, she decided to focus on the problems at hand. She thought about the dozens upon dozens of guards in there, and she wondered about Archie and where the hell he could be.

"I don't like this." She concluded, but still, she walked back into the tunnel that led to the gate, going right through it as Robin followed close behind her.

Once they passed the security checkpoint, they had to wait for the guard that was going to escort them further in, and as they waited, they saw a procession of men in the same uniforms as the one outside. Most were armed, and none looked like they were playing around.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Regina asked in a whisper, her eyes drinking on everything that was happening right in front of them.

"Yes, I am," He whispered back, and by the way he was holding his phone, she was sure he was either taking photos or recording. "I have to send this back to the station. Maybe they can call another crew so that they can film from outside."

Liking the way he was thinking and how he was letting her in despite whatever he may be feeling, Regina agreed. "Send them straight to Gold. He'll know what to do."

Without even looking at her, Robin nodded, his concentration fully on capturing his images.

It was risky, as they could get caught at any moment, so as he did that, she held her breath, hoping no one would pay any attention to them.

They didn't, thankfully, as everybody around seemed to be too busy to spare them a glance. At least until the guard that was going to take them to Leopold finally arrived.

"Miss Mills." He did a little bow as he called her, but he looked as unfriendly as the one who brought them into the palace, his face long and his expression the same blank mask, and that didn't settle well with Regina.

"Where is my producer?" She asked despite the apprehension she was feeling, making sure to keep her tone even. It was the reporter in her, and she was sure her attitude came out a little imposing as she threw the question around.

Not like the man cared, because he plain and simple ignored her.

"Let's move." Leopold's guard said, and with a gesture of his hand, he made them follow him into a room on the second floor of the mansion.

Regina didn't like that, not even a little bit, because this was not how they did their interviews. They always did those in the Prime Minister's office, to make it official, and that room was definitely not on the second floor.

But because the place where they were taken looked like some kind of conference meeting room, Regina decided not to worry.

Sure, the space wasn't the ideal setting to address the nation, but it could be a hell of a lot worse.

It was with that in mind that she tried to relax.

She did at first,but then the man spoke directly to Robin, and that was when the alarm bells in her brain started to ring, loud and clear.

"This is how things are going to work and I need you to listen very carefully as I won't be repeating myself: You will be allowed to set up the equipment and get things ready, but only Ms. Mills can be present for the interview. Those are the Prime Minister's orders and because of it, I'll be sending someone to escort you out in ten minutes."

Saying no more, the guard turned around and marching as if he was in some kind of parade, he went out, closing the door behind him and leaving Robin and Regina staring after him.

"No," The brunette said once they were alone, her head turning from left to right as she shook a hand up in the air. "There's no way I'm going to be here alone with him."

She just couldn't. She needed Robin there, as his presence was the only thing that could give her the boost she needed to meet with Leopold Blanchard.

Yes, they could be at odds at the moment, and he could be mad at her all he wanted to, but he was aware of how she felt and the Robin she knew may be a bit of an asshole, but he didn't have an ounce of pettiness in his body, so he would never leave her on her own with a man she had confessed to him over and over again not feeling comfortable with.

Or at least she hoped so.

But who knew? People had a funny way of dealing with things and let's face it, it wouldn't be the first time she would be left on her own by someone who was supposed to have her back when she needed him the most, so nothing would surprise her at this point...

"You won't." He said dryly, not even looking at her.

Feeling a huge sense of relief wash over her by his words even though he was still acting kind of distant, Regina sighed, wiping the palms of her hands to her dress.

"So what are we going to do?"

Putting his things down, Robin walked to the door. When he got there, he turned the doorknob once, finding that it wasn't locked.

He didn't push it all the way though. Instead, he closed it back, taking his phone out as he started to call someone.

He also began to work on setting his camera equipment, making Regina stare in bewilderment.

"What are you doing?" Shouldn't they be heading out?

"I'm going to set this up so it can transmit straight to the station. You know, just in case we get lucky and there's something we can catch. Then we are leaving the hell out of this place."

Taking a quick glance at the clock on the wall, Regina licked her lips, wondering if she should stay instead and try to do the interview. "You really think we can get something from an empty room?"

"I don't know, but it will not hurt to try."

Eight minutes. They had eight minutes to get out like Robin said they should…

"And if I stay? If he is up to something, I should try and get it out of him."

Tilting his head towards her, the corner of Robin's lips curled and he looked in surprise. But then, his face relaxed a little and he blew out a breath.

"Listen, Leopold Blanchard didn't call you here so you can interview him. He wouldn't have tried to keep me out if that was his real intention; you need to understand that."

Blinking a couple of times, Regina opened her mouth, ready to ask him why he thought Leopold called her then. But before the question could roll off her tongue, a phone started ringing.

The sound made Robin look at his iPhone, and as his eyes took on the call, he groaned, straightening up and moving away from the camera as he put the device to his ear.

"Finally, I've been trying to get a hold of you, mate. I need info, and I need it now." Pausing for a moment, Robin walked towards the window. Once there, he tried it, turning the handle and opening it a little so he could take a peek out at the small balcony right outside of it. "You better tell me something good if you want all that money…"

Twisting her lips as she listened to Robin talk to the person whom she was going to assume was his informant inside the palace, Regina looked at the clock, making a mental countdown of how long they had until a guard came to escort her camera man out.

Six minutes and counting, time that made her feel even more antsy. Her hands were even starting to sweat from how nervous she was getting, and this was something she had never felt before in her work.

Sure, there was always that jittery feeling in the pit of her stomach when she knew she was about to work on something big, but those nerves edged more in excitement than anything else. This, whatever that was about to happen, had her freeting like she had never done in her life.

Right in that moment, she felt like there was a huge shadow looming somewhere behind her, menacing and ready to strike her down.

"Are you sure?" Robin asked in a muffled chuckle that held no trace of amusement, making Regina lift her chin in his direction.

She couldn't see his reaction to whatever it was that he heard as his back was to her, but she believed she detected the tension taking residence in his shoulders while he listened to his informant.

"And this starts tonight, two days before Christmas? You have to be bloody kidding me right now." Blowing out a breath, the blue-eyed man ran a hand through his hair. "Alright, alright… listen, I'm somewhere on the second floor of the Palace right now, so just tell me how to get out of here if you ever want me to pay you."

Regina looked at the clock on the wall. Five minutes left.

"Robin—" She began to say. She left it there though, because as soon as she said his name, he turned to her, his eyes making her feel some sort of reassurance.

"Got it. Listen, I'll have to get back to you in a bit." Saying no more, Robin ended the call, and taking a couple of steps towards her, he did something she was definitely not expecting.

He touched her, a hand rubbing quick circles to the small of her back as he went straight on to make another call.

It was nothing if you came to think about it, but taking in consideration how he had been pretty much giving her the cold shoulder since they left the station earlier that night, it felt like a lot.

"John." He said on the phone, his hand stopping for a second against her. "Listen, mate, I need you to do something for me and I need you to do it as fast as you can. I will be stuck at work for a while, yeah? so take Roland to Granny's now. I'll try to meet you there."

Blinking a couple of times as Robin ended the call, Regina checked the time. Four minutes left. She hoped that was enough time…

"Come on, let's get out of here."

Walking along with him as he guided her towards the door, Regina looked at the camera man, her eyes taking on the way he was clenching his jaw.

He was tense, and that made her mind set on the way he sent his boy out of the city.

Because yes, she had been talking enough time with this man to know Granny's was a small cabin in the middle of the northern woods, so there was something he wasn't telling that maybe she should know.

"What's going on?"

Letting his eyes fall on her, Robin clicked his tongue. "Long story short? If this Hook bloke is not lying to me, Leopold is about to pull a coup d'état on us. He's going to declare himself King and overthrow the Parliament. He even has a militia, and they are at this very moment getting ready to seize some of the most prominent members of our government."

Blinking her eyes twice as the words registered in her brain, Regina halted on her tracks, making Robin's hand drop away from her. "You mean members of the Parliament? Is he going to go after them at their homes?"

"Apparently. He's also going to put a ban on the press and declare us enemies of the nation, among many other things, so we can't be caught in here when that happens, you understand?"

Turning to her, Robin reached for her hand, grabbing it secure in his hold as he tried to make her move once again.

She barely felt it though, as her mind was speeding in all possible directions with the bomb Robin dropped on her.

Three minutes… there was no time for her to leave. She couldn't.

"We have to warn them. Can we go live right now?"

Probably sensing where her thoughts were going, Robin's face screwed, his eyes digging into hers. "We will warn them, we really will. I'll even call the National Guard myself if it's needed, but first we need to get out of here."

Knowing that he was right but not wanting to go, Regina didn't move. She couldn't help it, as a huge part of her was insisting that she should stay there and push her luck with Leopold.

What if she cornered him as she did the last time she interviewed him? What if she made him spill the beans on his plans on national TV?

Sure, without Robin she would feel unprotected, but that was a small price to pay if it meant alerting everyone in Storybrooke about what Leo wanted to do.

"You go ahead and leave, I'm going to try and see if I can actually do an interview with him."

"Come on, this is not the time to get creative."

Not wanting to get lost in the way he was looking at her, Regina shrugged, staring straight towards the door.

"I can make him talk."

Holding her hand a little tighter, Robin groaned, apparently losing a bit of his patience.

Not like it would be the first time that night that he felt annoyed with her, so lifting her chin up, she waited for him to tell her off.

"I'm not going to leave you here." He said instead, and at the edge of desperation in his voice, her eyes darted immediately towards him.

"He doesn't want to talk to you, Regina. The man is ego-tripping and trust me, you don't want to be anywhere near him once he sees himself as a bloody invincible king. It's not an interview he wants from you, and I'm not going to let you put yourself on a silver platter just so you can nail a story."

"This is not because I want the story..." At least not entirely. Sure, it would do wonders to her career if she was the one who showed the world who Leopold Blanchard really was. But more than that, what she wanted was to warn everybody.

She wanted to expose the threat Blanchard represented to the Parliament, to the National Guard, to the people, and she could only do that if she put her big girl panties on, and faced him one on one.

"Listen. He has Archie, he's going to seize the Station, and he only allowed me in here so that he could get to you. There's nothing good that could come out of you staying here, so let's go."

Pulling at her hand, Robin started to walk, probably expecting her to follow.

She didn't.

"Damn it, Regina!"

"The ten minutes are almost up. You should really get going."

Cursing under his breath once again, Robin let go of her hand and for a second, she was sure he was going to leave, fuming.

He didn't, and even though he went and opened the door, he quickly turned back and started working on the camera.

"I have a wide range here but you should try to stay by the table at all times, that way the camera will focus on you. Also, keep in mind that he can't be more than four feet away from you if we are going to get him within shot too, so keep that in mind as you make him talk. We need the audience to know it's him talking."

Not understanding why he wasn't going away when their time was less than a minute from being up, Regina blew out a breath. "I know all that, so go before they come for you."

Working on his equipment some more, Robin shrugged. "I think it's a little too late for me to leave. There's no way they won't see me walk out that door."

"Robin…" She started to speak, feeling awful that he wasn't able to leave in time because of her. But before she could keep talking, he went on.

"It's okay, that doesn't mean I'll let them get me. I'll go and be all cliche by climbing out that window to hang out there for a while. Now listen, I'm going to set this camera so that it starts recording in a minute. We don't want him to know we will be transmitting so you won't see the red light you usually get as cue, as I'll be turning it off. This is big Mills, so try to make him talk as much as you can, but if he tries something funny, please walk to the window so that I can throw him out of it."

Unable to help it, Regina scoffed. "Really, you want to throw the Prime Minister out of a window on camera?"

Lifting his shoulders and then letting them drop as if that was nothing, Robin pursed his lips. "Well… that will definitely make your ratings skyrocket. Gold will love it and may even try to bail me out."

Right, as if throwing Leopold Blanchard out of a second story building was just going to make him be sent to prison. They would execute him, without the benefit of a trial and without even leaving the grounds.

One of the guards would do it. Maybe the one who escorted them in.

"I won't let it come to that." Or at least she hoped so; but the truth was that she wasn't sure how the whole thing was going to end.

What was going to happen if Blanchard confessed? Would she be able to leave the palace? Would Robin?

She didn't know. As far as she was concerned, things could go wrong in so many different ways with that interview, and she didn't think she was ready to face most of them.

Not like there was much to do now. The clock was ticking, and much like she said to herself back at the van, it was showtime.

But first…

"I'm sorry." She said once Robin was done with the camera and started to walk towards the window.

"Don't sweat it, I always wanted to pull a stunt like this. You know, it's very James Bond."

"I meant about what happened back at the party…" And the night they kissed. Only that she didn't add that part and instead she just stood there, holding her breath as Robin just shrugged her apology off.

"It's alright. Now remember, stay near that table and make him talk." With that said, the man went out through the window, leaving it half closed as he waited on the other side.

"Okay…" She said, taking a deep calming breath before turning around to face the camera.

She didn't know if her minute was up, but if she was being recorded and transmitted right in that moment, she wasn't going to give the impression of being a bit broken-hearted, or let alone scared of what was about to happen.

That was why she put on the mask people were used to seeing on her, why she put on the face of Regina Mills: serious, determined, and with that glint in her eyes that meant business.

That was exactly how the guard that came for Robin found her.

"I came for the camera man."

Lifting her chin up and standing a little taller, Regina eyed the man intently. "He was already escorted out. Now, can you tell me what is going on here? Where did you take my producer and my camera man, and why were they denied being present for this interview with the Prime Minister?"

"Who escorted him out? I was sent here for that specific task."

Keeping her face straight and her shoulders relaxed, Regina kept at it, trying to get as much information as she could from this man. "I don't know, one of your fellow guards. He was armed just like you, and he had that same uniform… with the little crown. Are you private security? Because that doesn't look like the national emblem our government officials' wear."

"I'm going to clear that up with my superior."

Not wanting the man to find out that nobody came to escort Robin out of the building, Regina blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "And who is your superior, Leopold Blanchard? Because I want a word with him, now."

Taking a step forward and clenching his jaw, the guard got all red in the face, almost as if she had personally offended him. "You will address him as His Majesty, and let it be clear that you don't have any say in here. Not when it comes to me, and let alone with the King."

'Perfect.' Regina thought, because this was exactly the content that was going to make people turn their heads and wonder what was going on.

Or at least it would be enough for Gold to take the bull by the horns and air it live. That was why she needed to press a bit harder.

"The King? Storybrooke doesn't have such a thing." Frowning as if she was thinking, she leaned a bit forward. "Are you a Royalist? Is that why you have that crown embroidered in your uniform?"

"Well, look at this," A new voice said, preventing the man from answering such a pivotal question. It was a voice she recognized very well, and as soon as she heard it, she couldn't help but have the distinct feeling of her skin crawling.

"Prime Minister." She said, her voice sounding alien to her own ears. "May I ask what is going on here?"

Squinting his eyes and licking his lips in that annoying way he had whenever he saw her, Leopold walked into the room. "From what I can see, you are trying to interview my guard. Is that what is going on here, Regina?"

Keeping her eyes on him and her posture straight, the brunette arched an eyebrow. "Well, your guard here sure looks suspicious. As does the fact that you made my crew disappear."

Eyeing her down, Blanchard nodded, his lips forming a smile on his face that Regina didn't particularly like. She didn't like how he motioned the guard to leave either.

The man did just as Leopold wanted, the sound of the door closing making Regina cringe a little.

"Where are Archie Hopper and Robin Locksley? As members of the Channel 2 News Broadcast, they should be here if you are really going to address the nation."

Taking a few more steps towards her, Leopold kept his eyes on her body. "They are being detained right now. They are the first ones, but the same will happen to all members of your lot. I'm afraid you've all been charged with treason."

"Treason? Against what? That's not even a legal charge."

"But it is. Treason against me, as King, treason against the crown… and treason against the nation."

"King? You are calling yourself a King and making up charges against the press? What is even this?" She asked, wanting Leopold to say it loud and clear for everyone to listen.

"I am doing what needs to be done to retake my country. Therefore, I am from this moment on, your King."

'And there it is.' Regina thought because that was enough to alert people, but feeling like she needed to keep pressing, she went on.

"I doubt Storybrooke will let you do that. The Crown was overthrown for a reason years ago, and it was once again rejected when your father wanted to take it back. So what makes you think people will welcome having a King again?"

Smirking, Leopold arched his eyebrows. "That's the thing, they don't have a choice. They will either accept it, or they can go against me and commit treason and be punished for it."

Getting more riled up than scared, Regina scoffed. "You can't be serious. It's prosperous to even suggest doing such a thing."

"I am serious. Being king is my birthright, one that the Parliament wants to strip from me, as they did to my father, and my grandfather before him. But you'll see, Regina… things are going to start changing now. I'm taking back what is mine, and I will fix the mess that was made out of Storybrooke. For too long, this country has been submerged too deep into a political agenda that has done nothing more than bleed us out, and the press along with those buffoons at Parliament are half the problem why we sunk so deep."

By then, Leopold was close enough for her to see the saliva accumulating at the corner of his lips as he spoke, and she wondered if she could afford taking at least two steps back.

She didn't. She stood her ground, because that was what she came to do.

"You've been washing people's brains into thinking they are part of the progress by letting them vote and all that nonsense, when in reality, this… them and everything in these lands belong to me."

"Do you mean to charge the members of the Parliament as well? Because they won't let you. They'll send the National Guard to arrest you before you can even try anything."

For some reason, that tickled Leopold funny, so he laughed. "They won't even know what hit them. Did you see all the men I have here? That's nothing compared to our real numbers. We're going to take the country back, and if we have to go to war for it then so be it. It will be a long road, but the destination is glory and I was born for it."

Blinking a couple of times as she tried to understand the level of crazy that this man embodied, Regina parted her lips. For a moment, she didn't know what to say.

"So why was I called here if you will do this by surprise? Why tell me all of this if I'm going to be detained as well?"

Smirking mischievously, Leopold moved his eyes down to her chest.

It made her feel uncomfortable, because even though her dress was covering her up to her neck, the fact that it was completely open out back meant that she didn't have a bra on and maybe he could tell?

"Detained? No, not you. I was thinking that I could spare you… as an act of good faith, of course. Things are about to get ugly out there and being the benevolent man that I am, I figured I could offer my protection... actually, I can offer you everything."

Extending a hand towards her, Leopold touched her chin. The contact made Regina act on impulse, and her head jerked away from his touch. She also took a step back.

Probably getting the hint, he dropped his hand down.

"I'm going to put the country under martial law. Nobody will be allowed to be in the streets as we manage this transition. We will also cut all kinds of communication as well as the electricity, so I think it will be better if you stay here at the palace. I'll have a room arranged for you."

"You really plan to cut off electricity in winter?"

"Yes. I need to control the masses in some way. That's why you need to stay here."

"No thank you." She said, her teeth worrying the tender flesh of the inside of her cheek until the spot was almost raw.

Leopold didn't even seem bothered by that, and instead, he got closer, his hand lifting to her hair so he could twist one of his fingers in a dark lock.

The gesture made Regina jerk away from him again. "Don't touch me."

"Did I ever tell you how perfect you are, how you are always in my mind? Because you are, Regina. So if you let me, I would like to make you my Queen. I would pardon all of your charges, so if I were you, I would consider saying yes to this."

Before she could reply with a resounding no, the doors to the room burst open and in came the head of Leopold's security. "Your Majesty—"

"What?" He yelled, turning around in a fury. "Didn't I say I was going to be busy!"

"I beg your pardon, but there's a situation at the gate. An urgent situation, as there is a mob trying to gain entrance."

"A mob?"

Feeling her mouth suddenly get dry, Regina clenched her teeth, waiting…

True, she didn't know what was happening… but she was going to guess that the mob had something to do with her and the fact that she recorded Leopold calling himself a king for the whole world to see.

If that was the case, she was in a very precarious situation.

"Yes, your Majesty. And they are asking for you to resign."

Puffing out a breath, Leopold turned around and without sparing Regina a glance, he started to walk out. "Keep her here until I come back."

"Of course."

The man didn't even look at her when he closed the door, but by the clicking sound echoing all around, she was going to guess that he locked her in.

"Shit." She cussed. Then, turning around in her heels and heading straight towards the window, she opened it. "Robin?"

Feeling her stomach turn when she got no response, Regina scanned the small little balcony at the other side, and right there, with his back to the wall as the wind swirled all around him, was the man.

"I was starting to freeze out here."

Blowing out a breath, Regina closed her eyes, letting the relief she felt by seeing him there settle in.

"We have to get out of here. Leopold definitely lost his mind."

"I know, I heard… now did you see that?" Lifting his hand, Robin pointed forward, and when Regina followed his finger, she saw it.

In the streets, right outside the palace gates, a huge crowd was starting to form. There were hundreds of people there, and more were coming in… all of them with one apparent goal. Stopping Leopold Blanchard.

"You did that."

Regina sucked in a shaky breath, her lips parting and her heart beating hard and fast against her ribcage.

It was just… overwhelming.

"Now… how do you feel about climbing down from a second story building?"

Looking back at him, the brown-eyed reporter closed her mouth. But when he extended a hand towards her to help her out of the window, she took it...

* * *


	4. The Talk

"I'm going to go down first and check if the coast is clear, alright?"

Trying to relax her posture as if the words Robin said didn't have any kind of negative effect on her growing nerves, Regina forced out a slight nod. She did that with her chin pointed a little too high, giving with that stance an illusion of control she wasn't exactly feeling.

It was a charade, she was aware of that, but that was the image she wanted to portray, of a Regina that was brave and who wasn't scared out of her mind by the situation they got themselves into. Her intentions fell short though, because instead of letting go of his hand, she tightened her hold on him, her fingers clinging to his as if her life depended on it.

It was something that she couldn't help, as the tension she was feeling at the moment was strong enough to make her walls crack a little bit. Not because it was scary to be standing in a balcony with a railing that was merely three feet high while the force of the wind threatened to tip them over, but because there was an undeniable terrifying aspect in the thought that Leopold could come back into the room and pull her back in.

'No,' she thought as Robin sent her a quick glance. She couldn't let it come to that, which was the reason why they needed to do this as quickly as they could.

"Okay." She blurted out, blinking rapidly as her hand finally let go of his. Once she did that, Robin moved, going over the railing before smoothly climbing down.

Closing her eyes and pressing the back of her head hard against the windowpane, Regina waited for Robin to call for her. She even made a mental countdown of how long it took him, but then, when she was barely on the count of three, a chill ran down her spine, making her body jerk involuntarily as a new kind of terror settled in her gut.

Her notion of time got lost right then and she was suddenly remembering her father and what he used to tell them whenever anyone in their family felt that kind of chill: death was looming somewhere behind.

"No..." She mumbled between clenched teeth, trying to convince herself that feeling such anxiety over her father's superstitions, was irrational and to a certain point unfounded.

Sure, maybe Henry's way to explain those chills was a bit over the top, but the truth was that she was in a very precarious situation. This wasn't a game, and just thinking about how mad Leopold was going to get when he realized that she was the reason his plans got exposed was enough to make the little hairs at the nape of her neck stand on end.

She was trying to ignore the sensation, but there was a huge force of adrenaline flooding through her system in huge currents, urging her to move. It pumped and beat like it was trying to escape her, and the act of just standing there without doing much was making her feel antsy.

"Alright, you can come down now."

Blinking her eyes open and exhaling in relief, Regina didn't think things twice. She moved as soon as she heard Robin's voice, trying not to lose her footing along the way.

It was tricky. The wind was picking up, the cold bitter enough to chill her entire body into clumsy numbness, and she was in a pair of four-inch heels that were definitely not made for climbing down a two-story building.

She did it anyway, going over the railing and then easing herself down, her feet trying to blindly find a place where she could stand so that she could get this over with.

There was nothing though, and for a moment she was sure she was going to have to let go and just fall backward to whatever was waiting for her down there.

"I got you."

Feeling a pair of hands firmly grab her waist from behind, Regina sucked in a breath, letting go of the railing as she hung from it. Robin picked her easily enough, and in a matter of nothing she had both feet on the ground as her head tilted up to take a look at the balcony.

It seemed so high up and far away, but still, the menacing thought of Leopold getting a hold of her was making her stomach turn.

"Come on, we need to keep moving." Grabbing her hand once again and making Regina feel a sense of safety wash over her, Robin started to move, making her follow as he walked along the wall as silently as he could.

They did that until they got to the end of the building, cutting through the frigid night air until they came to a point where they had to stop dead in their tracks.

"There are too many guards." Regina breathed out, licking her lips in distress as her eyes absorbed all of what was happening.

Leopold's men were everywhere, most of them rushing towards the gate, where an angry mob was trying to get in. Guns were drawn from one side, while on the other one, all kinds of objects were being thrown in.

It was a mess, a time bomb about to go off, and even though they were a good distance away and out of sight, the shouts and tension taking over could be felt as if everything was happening right by their side.

"Shit. We can't walk across that yard without being seen."

Fighting against her body's instinct to shiver in the low temperature, Regina drew in a shaky breath, her mind rolling as Robin's comment confirmed her suspicions that they were pretty much trapped inside the Palace's grounds.

The realization made her tighten her hold on him once again, the warmth of his hand against hers making her feel a little bit reassured.

Not by much though, because the look on Robin's face as he turned to her wasn't exactly a hopeful one. He was frowning in what appeared to be concern, the corner of his lip tipping up as he scanned their surroundings some more.

"What are we going to do?"

Robin took a couple of seconds to think things over, the muscles of his jaw clenching as he finally looked at her. That was when his face changed and something close to horror took over.

"Jesus Regina, you're shaking." Puffing out a breath, Robin let go of her hand as he went quickly to take his jacket off. Once that was done, he put it over her shoulders, his brows furrowing as they silently stared at each other.

In the darkness of the night, his eyes looked darker than what she knew them to be, but there was no way for his apprehension to dull that spark she would always spot whenever he looked at her.

"Thank you." She bit on her lips as she slid her arms into the sleeves, her entire body welcoming the warmth provided.

Nodding and forcing his eyes away from her, Robin cleared his throat. "I'm going to call Hook. There's nothing that bloke wouldn't do for the promise of a nice amount of money in his bank account." With that said, he took his phone out and called his informant.

Unable to look away, Regina suppressed the urge to chew the inside of her cheek raw and instead, she allowed her gaze to drink in the image of the man standing by her side, watching as he put the phone to his ear while doing everything in his power to avoid looking at her.

It took him three seconds to start talking, and when he did, he went straight to business.

"Listen, mate, I need your help here. I'm still inside the Palace and I need to get out. Tell me what to do."

Parting her lips so she could inhale a breath of fresh air into her lungs, Regina waited, the moment of silence that followed Robin's request making her nerves stand on edge. It made her exhale a little too hard soon after, her face making a grimace that spoke volumes about her current mood.

She was anxious, the sensation crawling deep inside of her, and how could she not feel like that when the clock was ticking against them?

She knew it wouldn't take Leopold too much time to be informed about what they did, and she didn't think it would do them any good to be there when that happened. He would call it treason, and who knew what his actions would be then.

As she thought about that, Robin seemed way too focused on whatever Hook was saying. "Yes, I can see the main gate to my right." He stopped there, pushing the inside of his cheek with his tongue. "Okay, I'll be there in a minute."

Before completely ending the call, Robin turned around, his hand automatically grabbing hers once again, lightly squeezing so that she would follow him.

"Come on."

Feeling the urgency of the situation kick back in, Regina walked fast, the heels of her shoes digging deep into the soft soil making her struggle at times. She still kept going, the need to get out of there exceeding whatever mishap there was along the way.

They only stopped their wandering when they came upon an open back door at the west wing of the building and a young woman motioned for them to get in. "Come in, quick, quick!"

Before Regina's senses could begin to worry over the fact that Robin followed this stranger without asking any questions, the girl started to talk, sending quick glances at her as they moved along a long dark corridor.

"Oh my God, I can't believe I'm really looking at the one and only Regina Mills. You are so pretty; so much more than what you look on TV."

Lifting her chin up and straightening her back, Regina opened her mouth. Her intention was to reply, but when she didn't find a way to answer such an awkward comment, she closed it again. She focused on her surroundings instead, her mind coming to the conclusion that they were in what appeared to be the service quarters of the Prime Minister's Mansion.

"You sure worked Blanchard like a puppet back there! You cornered him until he was singing like a bird. I was cheering you on from here, as did my friends back home. I know because they called and told me they were going to join the protest outside the gate. They didn't even wait for you to be done with him and came straight here. Most people did that, and I may be stuck here for now, but I'll do my part. I'm not letting him get you."

Feeling grateful and a little touched, Regina's lips curved into a genuine smile. "Thank you."

"Any time. I'm a big fan, you know? I always tried to take a peek at you whenever you came to interview him, but Tremaine made sure to keep me busy doing chores so I never could. I'm Ella, by the way."

Clearing his throat and giving Regina's hand a quick squeeze, Robin inserted himself into the girl's monologue. "Does the Prime Minister know we recorded him?"

"Not yet, he's a little dense. Oh, but when he finds out, he's going to be furious. He'll turn this place upside down looking for you. Especially her."

Not liking the sound of that, Regina drew in a deep breath, her hold on Robin readjusting so that their fingers could intertwine. She meant to find comfort in the gesture, and even though he never looked at her, the way in which his thumb smoothly slid over her knuckles gave her exactly that.

"That's why we are hoping you can get us out of here as soon as you can, yeah?" Robin said. But instead of making haste, Ella spun around and stopped walking.

"Sure. Well... actually, Killian is supposed to be the one letting you out. He's the chauffeur, so he's the one who has access to the back gate. He just called me to help because I was closer to you. He'll be here in no time." Smiling brightly, the young woman looked at them both, her eyes lowering a little so that she could take in the way they were holding hands.

For some reason, that made Ella's smile widen and Regina couldn't help but to feel a little self-conscious. Not because she was clinging to her camera man and probably giving the girl the wrong impression when it came to the two of them, but because she knew they were still not on the best terms.

Robin was mad at her, for all the right reasons. Yet there he was, holding her hand and humoring her refusal to let go.

"Now, I don't think he'll be able to get you out in a car because the roads are blocked all the way to Main Street, so I'm afraid you'll have to walk the rest of the way. I mean, your van is right in the middle of the crowd, so..."

"That's alright, as long as we are out, we're going to be fine."

"Not with those shoes, especially if Blanchard sends some of his men to find you." Arching an eyebrow, Ella's eyes went straight to Regina's heels. "I can give you a pair of sneakers and socks if you want. You'll be more comfortable with those if you have to go on the run."

"Oh, no… I'm okay."

Twisting his lips a little as he looked back at her, Robin hummed. "She's right, you know? Those things can't be comfortable, and they won't let us get too far with you wearing them."

"These _things_ are Louboutins, and I can walk in them just fine." Regina bit back, annoyed that he was undermining her ability to dominate her high heels in any given situation.

Didn't he see her climb down off a balcony while wearing them?

Lowering his eyes for a second and then lifting them back to her face in a way that reminded her too much of the furtive glances he used to send her way whenever they casually crossed paths, Robin smiled. It was an easy smile, almost playful, and despite the situation at hand, Regina was once again reminded of how natural it has been for her to fall for this man.

"Then all the more reason for you not to go out wearing them. You don't want to break them going on a run, do you? Besides, they are too shiny. Leopold's men would only have to follow the brightness to know where you are. So yeah, we'll take the sneakers."

Scoffing because leave it to Robin Locksley to make fun of her shoes in such a situation, Regina pouted. She didn't say anything in her defense though, because Ella beat her to it.

"Perfect! I'll go and get them." Turning her back to them, the younger woman walked straight towards a wall full of lockers at the end of the hallway. From there, she got a pair of horrible white sneakers and an even worse pair of socks. "I hope they fit, they are size nine. Oh, and the socks are new, I meant to wear them tomorrow."

Doing her best not to cringe at the sight of the Christmas socks, Regina blinked a couple of times, taking the sneakers from Ella's hands and silently sitting down to change into them. She kicked her shoes off regretfully, even when it was a relief to liberate her feet from them.

"They'll fit just fine." Sure, she would look like a madwoman wearing an evening dress with a man's jacket, white sneakers and red and green socks, but at least she would be warmer than what she had been out there... she guessed.

Picking up her discarded heels and running a finger over the Swarovski crystals covering them, Ella sighed dreamily. She didn't even seem to notice the look of distress on Regina's face as she took a look at her outfit or even the smile corrupting Robin's lips as he looked at the two of them. "I promise I'll hold on to them and give them back whenever we meet again. Because we will meet again, I know it."

Before Regina could even respond to that, a door burst open and a black-haired man walked in. He seemed to be in a hurry, his eyes moving from one place to another as if he was looking for something.

His sudden appearance made Regina tense, but when neither Robin or Ella reacted to him with any kind of concern, she relaxed a little.

"Come on, we have five minutes to get you two out of here."

Quickly getting to her feet when Robin motioned for her to follow him, Regina gave Ella one last look, then she was moving again.

This time, Robin didn't grab her hand and opted to just put a hand to her back, the pressure a silent way to make her feel the urgency of the situation.

They walked fast, almost breaking into a run, cutting through an intricate labyrinth of long corridors and doors that led them straight to the other side of the building.

Once out, the man took them to what appeared to be an abandoned old gate. It was at the back of the building, the road that led to it overgrown with vegetation. "I hope you know this will cost you extra."

Scoffing and running a hand through his hair, Robin motioned for his apparent informant to open the gate. "I bet it will."

"Oh, trust me, it will. Now, get out of my face before you get me in trouble."

With the gate open, Robin and Regina left the Palace's premises. They didn't look back and just started walking, putting as much distance as they could between themselves and Leopold's madness.

They did so in relative silence, Robin back to acting reserved and Regina wondering if things would always be like this between them from now on. Because yes, this was what she pushed for, but in a situation that had the two of them trapped between a rock and a hard place, she wanted her friend… she wanted the Robin she has come to know and in a way, love.

It wasn't in the stars though, and she did nothing to close the uncomfortable gap growing between them with each step they took. That was until at some point they started to encounter people along the way, dozens upon dozens walking opposite to them. Some of them were even running wild and fast, apparently meaning to reach the back gate before Leopold's guards beat them to it.

"This is going to turn ugly. If they take over that gate, they'll be able to get inside the Palace and I don't think Leopold will receive them with open arms. Things will turn into a war zone in a matter of nothing."

Thinking about Ella and the mess the young woman could find herself in, Regina looked back over her shoulder, her eyes picking upp on the way some people were carrying a great number of glass bottles.

Molotov cocktails, she guessed, so she could already see how things could turn from bad to worse at any given moment.

Wrinkling her nose, she looked at Robin, glad that at least they could still have a civil conversation without letting it become awkward. "Do you think the guards will shoot at them? They are civilians."

"True, but it's obvious these people mean to do some damage, and the Palace guards won't retaliate by throwing flowers at them."

As she allowed the implications of Leopold's possible actions to sink in, a man dressed all in black jumped in front of her, pointing a finger in her face while his mouth distorted.

"You!"

The force of the man's voice and the intensity of his actions startled Regina, and she automatically took a step back. Meanwhile, Robin protectively put himself in front of her. "Hey, back off."

Not that it was necessary to be so brusque, because a second after the encounter, the man started laughing out loud. "You are the one who exposed that son of a bitch. Hey, Leroy! Come and take a look, you won't believe who's here."

Groaning because the last thing she needed was to be recognized, Regina lifted a hand to say no. But before she could do it, the man was taking out his phone to snap a picture of her.

A few more people did the same, all of them excitedly commenting on the way she took Leopold's mask off for the entire world to see.

It all happened too fast, making Regina feel a little lost with the attention. If it wasn't because Robin quickly grabbed her hand and dragged her into the multitude coming in, she would have ended up being swamped.

"You know what? This is not going to work, we need a place to lay low for a while."

Lowering her head to avoid being recognized again, Regina walked behind Robin, almost pressing her forehead to his back while he opened a way for them to go through the sea of people. There were hundreds of them now, making Regina have a bad feeling deep in her gut.

They were almost on the street when the sound of gunfire rang loud and clear.

"They are shooting at us, the Royalists are shooting at us!" Someone yelled, and that was the moment when all hell broke loose.

With people starting to run in all directions and the sound of more shots echoing all around, Robin tightened his hold on Regina's hand and urged her to run.

She did. She ran and ran, not looking where she was going. She just tried to keep up with Robin for what felt like miles, her lungs burning and her heart wild in her chest, pounding, banging, trying to get out.

When they finally came to a stop in what seemed to be a semi-deserted alley, Regina was out of breath and there was a persistent stabbing pain in her side that was making her wince.

"Are you alright?" Robin asked, his own breathing a little labored as well.

"Yeah." She lied because it would take too much of her time and effort to explain all the reasons why she wasn't alright, Regina focused instead on regulating her breathing.

She wasn't sure if he believed her, but apparently not wanting to insist, Robin just nodded, his eyes set on everything happening around them.

Regina also watched, a sense of doom taking her by the throat as she witnessed that even with several miles between themselves and the Palace, their surroundings were busy with roaming people. It was alarming, because along with the unusual crowd taking over the streets even though it was way past midnight, she also spotted a convoy of the National Guard's armoured security vehicles heading straight towards the Prime Minister's residence, and she wasn't sure if she felt any better after seeing that.

There was a lot of unrest as it was, and an open conflict between the military and Leopold's own forces with so many civilians in between couldn't end well.

"I'm calling Gold, I don't like how this looks." Breaking the silence, Robin grabbed his phone. Then he dialed, putting the device on speaker as he waited for the owner of the station to pick up.

" _Where the hell are you?_ "

Scoffing, Robin's eyebrows rose. "Yes, yes, we are fine, thanks a lot for asking. I'm afraid I can't say the same for Archie, as we don't know where the bloody hell he is."

" _He was probably arrested, just like all the members of the press Leopold managed to seize. Now, do you have my van?"_

Doing a double take after Gold dismissed the witch hunt approach the so-called King was taking toward the press as if it was nothing, Regina turned back around, her lips parted as her eyes automatically landed on Robin's blue orbs. "Is he serious?"

" _I am very serious, Mills. That van is the only one we have left right now because Banchard sent his men to the station and confiscated whatever they didn't destroy. So tell me, do you have the van or not?"_

"No. We don't have it. We left it outside the Palace and I don't know if you know this, but that place is a mess right now. There's a mob wanting to get in, Blanchard's men are shooting at them, the National Guard is on their way and well… we basically had to escape on foot. We left everything behind."

" _Goddamn it!"_ Gold cursed as Robin dropped the news on him, and even though she couldn't see him, Regina could imagine him snarling in displeasure. _"Alright, we'll find a way around this. Now listen... are you listening, Locskley?"_

"I am." Robin cleared his throat, his hand going over his brows so that his fingers could smooth down some of his worry lines.

" _Those men Blanchard sent? They came looking for Regina, so don't let her come to the station or anywhere near her apartment. We lost too many reporters with the raid and we can't afford to lose her too. I think it would be better if she doesn't show her face for now because trust me, Leopold Blanchard has everything but good intentions when it comes to her."_

Robin hummed, his eyes finding Regina's. "Yes. We kind of figured that out."

" _We are not in a good place right now, but when this whole thing settles, we need her to go live in whatever way you can. People will want to know everything about what she has-"_

Before Gold could go on with his instructions, the call got cut and all of the street lamps went out. The lights in the nearby buildings also turned off, leaving them submerged in complete darkness. It happened all of a sudden, the eeriness of it all making Regina shiver.

"Great." Robin hissed, his jaw clenching as he lifted his head to take a look around.

Regina was only able to see him because the phone was providing a small source of illumination. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to even see his face. That was how dark it was.

"Seems like our so-called King made good on his promise and cut off the electricity."

Wondering how Leopold ever thought that it was a good idea to cut off Storybrooke's electricity as a way to make people stay in their homes, Regina folded her arms against her chest. "How about phone service, is it out?"

"No service and no data."

Rubbing her hands over her forearms, Regina groaned. "So what now?"

Turning the flashlight of his phone on, Robin shrugged. "Well… now we keep moving. Come on, I know of a place not too far from here."

Following him as he began to walk away from the alley and up the street, Regina looked over her shoulder, noticing that there were more people heading towards the Palace than there were running away from it.

There were so many of them, all with their flashlights turned on and their lighters up in the air like some improvised torches, that it no longer felt like the electricity had been cut off.

"Fuck Leopold Blanchard!" A redhead woman yelled, her voice loud and clear provoking a wave of cheers. "Storybrooke is _ours_!"

After saying that, she went to repeat what she just said, the words carrying some kind of catchy melodic vibe that was quickly picked up by the crowd. In a matter of nothing, they made it into a chant, one that they carried on as they marched along.

It was surreal, even historic how quick everybody seemed to react and take the streets to repel what Blanchard wanted to do. It was like nothing she has ever seen before and yes, the reporter in her was itching to go and find out what was happening over there. Especially when she could hear the commotion in the distance along with the shouts and shots.

But… a more rational part of her, very much louder than the other one, was telling her that she needed to stay away from Leopold's radar, and that going back to the Palace was not a smart idea.

That was why she kept walking after Robin, aiming for safety instead of going after the story.

They only stopped a couple of blocks ahead, right in front of the mechanic shop Robin had recommended to her six months ago.

At first, Regina didn't pay much attention to what he meant to do when he walked straight to the door, because another National Guard vehicle passed them by and she got caught up by the way a small group of people started to boo them. They even yelled after them to go away, claiming in loud voices that Blanchard was the true King and ruler of Storybrooke.

Scoffing in disbelief and turning around to face Robin, Regina shook her head. "Did you hear what-" Cutting her words short, the brunette narrowed her eyes, her brows furrowing at the sight of her companion forcing the door open. "What are you doing?"

Looking over his shoulder and flashing one of his infamous cheeky smiles her way, Robin shrugged, pushing the door open and motioning for her to go in. "Finding us a place to lay low."

"Really? We're breaking into places now?" Her words came out a bit accusatory, but still, she walked in, relying on the light coming from Robin's phone to be able to see.

"Breaking in? Nah, if anyone asks, I used my key."

"You have a key to the town's mechanic shop?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. I don't have it with me right now, but yeah."

Instead of replying, Regina arched an eyebrow, her head turning a little so she could take a look at him. She was met by the sparkle of his eyes and that easy smile that always made her melt a little, and for some reason she couldn't quite understand, she felt a blush creep from her neck to her face.

She didn't know if it was because once he closed the door of the shop, it was just the two of them, but he was suddenly too close. It was also too dark, too quiet and how could she keep ignoring the fact that by wearing his jacket, she was constantly surrounded by the scent of him?

It was like he was everywhere, no matter where she looked and how hard she tried to ignore the sensation.

"This is actually my mate's shop, so no harm is being done. I'll buy him a new lock… maybe."

Taken aback by the playfulness in his voice, Regina turned her head away from the intensity of his gaze, all her senses on alert as she kept walking deeper into the locale. They made it into what seemed to be the office, and just like he did when they first entered the shop, he closed that door as well.

Watching him do that made Regina tense a little because this was still Robin, and there was a reason why she always refused to meet with him one-on-one.

Sure, ever since they walked out of the party, he has been acting like a complete gentleman and not the asshole she liked to imagine he was, but still… she felt things.

Maybe not the kind of things that would make her want to grab his and kiss him silly, but the kind that made her feel like she needed to come forward and try to clear the air between them.

They were talking, yes, but they were not okay, and in her mind it wasn't fair that they were acting like nothing but acquaintances when they were so much more. They were friends above everything else, and after everything they went through that night, she knew that despite her fears, she wanted to cling to at least that.

It would be hard because what she felt for him went beyond a simple friendship, but the fear of losing him when she had nothing else to hold on to was stronger.

The question was, how did she say it? How did she undo the damage?

Not knowing what to say or do, Regina followed the man's movements as he easily navigated through the small space, watching closely as he made it to the desk. Once there, he picked up a one-line phone and put it to his ear, cursing under his breath when he apparently realized it was not working either.

"The landline is dead too." Sighing, Robin put the phone back into its cradle, one of his hands going up to his face and then dragging it all the way down to his neck. "Shit."

Taking notice of the distress in his face, Regina remembered something, a huge detail that must be making Robin feel even more worried under the circumstances.

"Do you think your friend was able to take Roland out of the city?"

Pinching the corner of his lip between his teeth, Robin lifted his eyes to hers. "I think so… or at least, I hope so." He said nothing else after that, and the silence that followed was deafening.

Feeling out of place bevause this new awkwardness between them, Regina cleared her throat, her eyes moving around the office until she spotted a worn-out leather sofa standing against the wall. She walked to it and sat down, crossing her arms tight against her chest.

"Are you hungry? It's not much, but there's a vending machine in the waiting room. I can get something out of it if you want."

"And how do you plan to do that if there's no power?" Regina added, pouting as she once again looked at him.

Clicking his tongue, Robin arched his eyebrows. "I have my ways."

Very much aware of the easygoing tone in his voice, Regina leaned a bit forward, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin on the palm of her right hand. "So you're a thief too?"

Humming and opening one of the desk's drawers, Robin took hold of a small silver object and lifted it up so he could show it to her. "Or maybe I have the key."

Smiling, he walked around the desk and headed towards the window, grabbing a couple of candles that had been resting there. Once in his hold, he took them to the desk and lit then, the room illuminating at once with the flickering flames.

"Truth is that Little John got that vending machine to get some extra income, but he is basically the only one exploiting it. He uses this key to get his snacks, so I say we should do the same, don't you think?"

Unable to help it, Regina smiled. "Well.. if Little John doesn't mind-"

"He doesn't. He might get mad if he finds out I'm using his lucky candles, but I'll handle that when the time comes. So... chips, cookies, chocolate?"

Not feeling overly enthusiastic about the choices, Regina cringed. But she was running on an empty stomach and she knew she needed to eat something, crappy as it may be. "Something salty? And… chocolate, please."

"Got it." Knocking his knuckles over the surface of the desk, Robin straightened his posture. Then he was walking out of the office.

Taking in a deep breath before letting it escape, Regina ran a hand through her hair, the silence in the wake of Robin's departure making her feel antsy. It was just too quiet, and considering there was so much unrest outside that building, she wasn't sure if she liked that.

It was like she was purposely keeping herself unaware of what was happening out there, and in this case, she didn't think ignorance was a bliss. Who knew what was going on? Who knew what Leopold was up to now?

Shifting on the sofa, Regina sighed, hoping with everything that she was, that the National Guard could get the situation under control and remove Leopold Blanchard from his position as Prime Minister and self-proclaimed King. They had the means, so it shouldn't take them so long, right?

Not wanting to overwhelm herself by worrying about things she had no control over, she proceeded to kick the sneakers off her feet, her toes wiggling in relief once they had the space to do so. She would have done the same with the socks, but it was too chilly in that room for her to do that.

"Okay, so I wasn't exactly sure what you meant by salty, so I got you one of each." Coming back into the room and once again closing the door, Robin placed everything he brought by her feet.

Once he did that, he sat on the floor, pressing his back against the sofa and spreading the variety of junk food he got. There were chips of all kinds, a couple of chocolate bars, a bag of Skittles, two Cokes and a Red Bull.

"So, what is it going to be?"

Reading his intentions of passing to her whatever she wanted while he remained on the floor, Regina slid down, sitting by his side without even looking at him.

"This." She stated, grabbing a bag of potato chips and a Snicker.

Out of the corner of her eye, Regina watched Robin reach for a bag of Doritos and the Red Bull, opening both so he could begin to eat.

For what felt like an eternity, they sat there in silence, the awkwardness of the moment making Regina wish she could just go ahead and _say_ _it_.

She was almost sure that a ' _sorry I was an ass'_ would suffice because that was how Robin was. He wasn't the kind to hold a grudge for too long… or at least, she hoped he wasn't.

The problem with that was that she didn't know how to apologize without addressing the picture at large. Yes, she could come clean and say that she had been wrong by saying they were not friends, but what would happen when he wanted to talk about the kiss and the six months of flirting she was trying to ignore?

Robin was a talker. He liked discussing things and tearing them apart so he could understand them, and she wasn't ready for that. She wasn't ready to be analyzed by him.

"So, when are you going to admit that changing into those sneakers was the best thing you did tonight?"

Feeling the way Robin used his leg to nudge hers, Regina sent him a sideways glance, the corner of her lip lifting a little. "Never. I loved those heels, and I would have done perfectly fine with them."

Grabbing another bag of chips, Robin arched an eyebrow. "You would have run in them?"

"Of course I would." Maybe not as fast or as safely, but she was never going to admit that out loud. "Now, I got stuck with these _burrowed_ uncomfortable things."

Touching her leg with his once again, Robin chuckled. "They are actually not that bad, the socks are neat."

"Seriously? They are horrible. I've never liked Christmas socks and the sneakers are just… too flat. They also make my feet feel claustrophobic and it's… I need my toes to feel free to move."

Frowning and putting a potato chip into his mouth, Robin scoffed. "You, Regina Mills, have issues."

"Oh, I have a thousand issues, but my preference in shoes is not one of them."

Biting into another chip, Robin hummed, his eyes moving along her face. He said nothing though, and his silence combined with the way the light of the candles made his eyes shine brighter, pushed her into feeling a bit self-conscious.

The whole thing made her feel like the room was shrinking, his proximity overpowering all of her senses. It made her wonder how she would survive being just friends with him, when the sole power of his eyes on her was strong enough to destabilize her.

"What?" She asked when his staring became too much.

Turning his head away, Robin sucked his lips into his mouth. "Nothing."

For the next few minutes, neither one of them said a word. Robin ate the rest of his chips and drank his Red Bull, while Regina just sat there, her eyes set on the candles as time kept moving on.

She wasn't exactly sure how long they remained like that, but it was enough for her to think about Leopold and the mess going on outside, of Archie and all of the rest of her coworkers who ended up arrested, and above everything else, she thought about the man sitting by her side…

"It's getting cold in here; Leopold really didn't think things through by cutting the power off."

Taken out of her thoughts, Regina set her eyes on Robin. He was still looking away, but his comment made her remember one thing. "Oh… I'm sorry I didn't-"

Clasping her mouth shut because she could sense she was going to ramble, Regina decided to simply take the jacket off so that she could give it back to him.

She abused enough of his good faith by keeping it for so long when he was probably cold too, so it was time to return it.

"Here." Extending her arm towards him and offering the article of clothing, she tried to smile. It didn't come out quite that way though, and she was sure she only managed a grimace.

Tilting his chin left to look at her, Robin exhaled loudly, his eyes casting a dull spark that spoke volumes of the things he wasn't saying. "I don't want the jacket, Regina."

Knowing that this was probably the best moment to bring up the subject that was bothering them both, Regina allowed her arms to drop, her eyes fixed on the endless blue of his stare.

"Then what do you want?"

Scoffing and scratching his neck hard, Robin shook his head. "Right now I want a lot of things, but I could settle with getting the hell out of here so I can go back to my son. It's Christmas Eve after all."

'Right,' She thought, thinking that it was perfectly normal for him to want that. But there was a part of her that was a little thrown off by the fact that he didn't mention anything about what was going on between them when it was obviously bothering him.

Was it because he was still mad? Because he decided to turn the page and move on from that brief chapter where he was interested in her?

Deciding to grab the bull by the horns instead of beating around the bush like she had done for the past few weeks, Regina drew in a deep breath and went straight for it. "I didn't mean it. You know, when I said we were not friends."

Blinking a couple of times, Robin's lips parted, his tongue pressing to the corner of his mouth as he dragged his hand through his hair. "Then why did you say it?"

Feeling her face drop as she looked at him, Regina shrugged. "Because I'm an asshole. I freaked out, I didn't know how to handle things and in a way, I tried to endwhatever there was between usand that was the first thing that came out. I didn't think it through and I'm sorry, because the truth is that your friendship means a lot to me and I don't want it to end like this."

Her words made Robin's lips purse as he looked down, almost as if he was taking a moment to find the right thing to say. Then he was back to staring at her, his eyes intense.

"You know what? I would have taken it better if you had come to me face to face and said all of that after we kissed instead of… getting to _this_. I'm not that dense, and I would have understood that you didn't see me the way I see you."

And there it was. Not only was he talking about _the_ _kiss,_ but also about feelings. Exactly the subjects she didn't want to discuss.

That was why she kept her next words simple. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too."

Feeling like this was not going exactly the way she wanted, Regina turned to him, her hand touching his arm. She did it without thinking, probably an act of desperation she didn't plan on doing. "Please, don't be mad at me."

"I'm not mad, Regina, I'm tired. You probably are too, so let's drop it here."

Knowing that letting go was exactly what she should do but at the same time feeling unable to, Regina closed her eyes. "I _do_ see you the same way you see me… but I can't let it be more than what it is right now."

"Because I'm just a camera man and you are _the_ Regina Mills?"

Not wanting him to get the wrong impression, Regina opened her eyes. "What? No… it's not that-"

"Then why? Because I really don't get it. You change from one way of acting around me to another without any kind of warning and I don't know what to make of that. You can't push and pull at the same time, so just tell me plain and simple: What do we have here?"

Sucking into a shaky breath, Regina rubbed her fingers to her forehead, her eyes closing as she shook her head. It felt like she was at a crossroads, and she really didn't know what path to take. She could be honest, or she could keep burying everything down.

"You wanted to talk, the least you could do is that."

Aware of the edge in his voice that indicated he wasn't exactly happy with her, Regina blinked her eyes open. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

Deep in her gut, she knew that this was the moment she should stick to her guns and tell him to take her friendship and just be happy with it, but the words wouldn't go past her throat and she could only stare at him.

Her silence made him chuckle, and probably fed up with her, he looked away.

So yes, this was going to be it. Once the situation with Leopold settled, he was going to go his way, and she was going to keep in her lane. There were not going to be any more calls, or texts and he was never going to look at her with that spark in his eyes she loved so much. They wouldn't even work together anymore, so in a way, this was really _it_.

Unless… she opened up for once. She didn't even have to say it all, just the basics, and if he really cared for her, he wouldn't push for more.

"I'm scared of this... of falling for you. I don't want to feel things only to fall flat in my face when you realize I am not what you want."

Turning to her, Robin frowned, a gasp rolling off his tongue as if he couldn't believe what she had just said. "And what makes you think you are not what I want? Because you are. Shit, Regina, I don't think I could be any more obvious with what I feel. You are who I want now, the same way you were yesterday and the same way you will be tomorrow. I want you in my life, and I don't see that changing any time soon."

Blinking the itch in her eyes away, Regina smiled sadly. "You say that now… but if you knew..."

"If I knew what?"

"That I am not the right woman for you. You are an amazing person and I _do_ have feelings for you, but if we were to take this any further, I would get in too deep, and in the long run, letting myself feel more will have the same effect as shooting myself in the face."

"Regina… you are not making any sense right now."

"I can't give you the life you deserve… or even the kids you will one day want. I am, in the words of my ex-husband, 'good for a good fuck, but useless to form a family.'"

Doing a double take, then shaking his head, Robin narrowed his eyes.

Did he get it now? Or did she have to be more specific?

Judging by how he was at a loss for words, she guessed he understood. He was probably just trying to find a way to take back all the words he said.

"I can't be just a good fuck for you, Robin, because I'd end up wanting more. That's why we can't be more than friends."

Lifting a hand in the air and then letting it drop to his lap, Robin's brows furrowed. "What the hell, Regina?"

"Well… that's if you still want us to be friends. If you don't that's alright, we can each go our separate ways and keep on with our lives."

She would try not to get offended by that, as he wouldn't be the first person who turned his back on her after finding the truth.

Daniel did, and he had been her husband, so why would Robin want to stick around when the man who swore to be by her side no matter what didn't even wait a week after she found out to pack his bags and leave?

"No… no, I don't think I'm quite getting this."

"I can't have children." She hissed, feeling bitter that she had to spell it out like that.

Actually, this was the first time she said the words out loud, and finally getting it off her chest, Regina held her breath, her chest getting heavy from the turmoil of emotion that wanted to erupt out of her. She was even trembling, and the cold taking over the room had nothing to do with it.

"Yeah, I think I got that by reading between the lines. What I don't understand is why you thought that telling me that was going to change how I feel. Is that the impression I gave you? That I was some asshole that was going to push you aside after finding out?"

"He did." Refusing to say _his_ name out loud, Regina breathed out, her voice strained with the effort of holding back her tears.

And no, she didn't feel like crying because of Daniel leaving her, as they hadn't been exactly on the best of terms when she got the news of her infertility, but because this was an issue she hadn't been able to discuss with anyone.

Not even with her sister, and that was saying a lot. Sure, Zelena knew, she had shown her the results of her medical exams after all, but the subject was one she avoided at all costs.

"I am not that twat. That's something you need to get into that stubborn head of yours, alright?"

Regina nodded, not sure what else to do. She just stared at him, her heart beating hard when he smiled and opened his arms.

"Now, come here."

She went immediately, letting him wrap her in his embrace, her face nuzzled in the crook of his neck.

"If he let you go because of that, he's a bigger asshole than what I thought."

Breathing into his scent and enjoying the warmth of his body, Regina let herself be carried away into the moment. "I don't care that he left, it was actually the best thing he ever did. But I haven't been able to get out of my mind the things he said and the way they made me feel. I can't let anyone put me through that again, you understand?"

She was still struggling not to feel like less of a woman or unworthy like Daniel said she was, so she wouldn't be able to take someone else making echo of those words.

"You won't." Running a hand up her spine and then letting it slide to the back of her head, Robin pressed his lips against her hair. "Anyone with some brain cells in their head would be happy to have you by their side no matter what. You're smart, funny in your own witty way, absolutely stunning… and you can run in heels. I mean... you could have been the Queen of Storybrooke for crying out loud, and that pretty much puts you on a whole different level."

Snorting despite herself, Regina wrinkled her nose. "Shut up, don't even remind me."

Kissing her forehead, Robin hugged her tight. "The point is that you are perfect, Regina, no matter what anyone else says."

"No, I'm not."

"Well, you do have some flaws, like… you don't like Christmas socks, you're awful at keeping your car tuned up and you have that pesky little habit of wanting to push me away. But even with all of that, you are definitely too good for that ex-wimp of yours. Me, on the other hand… I'm quite perfect, and that makes us one hell of a match. "

On any other occasion, Regina would have called him out for ruining the moment by being such an arrogant ass, but what she did instead was tilt her chin up so she could look him in the eye.

The moment she did, she was entranced by the depth of his eyes, her stare lost in all the different hues of blue in them. That was how, unable to help it, she closed the gap that separated them and kissed him, her lips tenderly brushing against his.

For a few seconds, she just remained there, their lips joined with the merest touch while her mind spiraled out of control. She was kissing Robin, and for the second time in her life, _she_ was the one who initiated the kiss.

It felt different from that first time though, and instead of the urgency of moving things further, she just pecked him, pressing into his mouth a series of short, sweet kisses.

Robin did the same, his hand cradling the back of her head as he added the perfect amount of pressure into the contact.

Unfortunately, it didn't last long, and before she could fully savor it, he was pulling away, his hand moving to her face so that his thumb could smooth the skin of her cheek.

"You know you can't do that unless you want me to get used to it, right?"

For a second, Regina debated between answering that with a kiss or just telling him. At the end, she opted for the second option.

"I know."

"Alright then." Biting into his lips, Robin bumped his nose against hers. He didn't do any more than that, and in a way she was glad, as the smile she got in return was worth more than a thousand kisses.

That smile spoke of how it was alright to fall for him, and it told her he was not going to break her into a million pieces like she was afraid of.

Realizing that was both scary and comforting at the same time, and even though she felt like she still needed to tip-toe into this, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, she felt hopeful… she felt happy.


	5. Epilogue

Leopold Blanchard was dead. He was taken down by a specialized unit of the National Guard, in a raid that left half the Palace in flames, the historic building succumbing to a battle that lasted until the crack of dawn.

The operative had been dispatched by the Parliament, but word on the street was that they were only able to complete the mission, because a member of Blanchard’s staff showed them in. It also helped that the mob brought the gates down and weakened the Royalists’ forces, because otherwise, they would have dragged the confrontation all the way to Christmas.

As the world had it, Storybrooke was shining because of its inability to suppress the coup on time, and it didn’t fall on blind eyes how even with the help provided, it took the special unit half the night and part of the morning to find the Prime Minister’s whereabouts. 

At the end, they found him hiding in an underground bunker, shouting and throwing a temper tantrum over being the rightful King of Storybrooke and people not respecting him for it.

He had been acting erratic and hostile, and maybe he would have been taken alive, if it wasn't because he attacked the National Guard’s unit with an old sword that was more rusty than edgy. Or at least, that was what people were saying.

Whatever it was and however it happened, Regina didn’t care, as she was too wrapped up in her own bubble to be worrying about Leopold and his short reign as  _ King _ .

Sure, what happened was terrible and the amount of people injured was alarming, but that was something she would have to cover at work day in and day out later on, so obsessing about it now would be too much. 

That was why for the time being, she wanted to clear her mind of anything Blanchard related and focus on other things instead… like Robin and the new development in their relationship.

At first, her camera man had been the only thought gnawing viciously into her brain, as she had been worried that as soon as he opened his eyes, he would change his mind about the things they talked the night before. 

She obsessed a little over it, as she had been afraid that with a new day coming, he would realize that she was not worth it after all.

The possibility of that happening had been latent and ever present, and just in case, she hadn't dared moving, fearing that if she did something as little as trying to get more comfortable, the spell was going to break and everything would fall apart.

Fortunately for her growing nerves, her preoccupation had been in vain, because ever since Robin woke up, with his arms around her and his nose buried in her hair, he had been showing her with his actions that he meant every single word of what he told her the night before. 

He didn’t say it out loud or even touched the subject, but the little details were enough to let Regina know. The way his fingers had run tenderly down her back when he thought she was still asleep, his insistence that she put on his jacket before she would catch a cold even when the electricity came back and the heater kicked in, and then with the way he playfully tried to convince her that cold Pop Stars and a Red Bull was a delicacy revered in some parts of the country.

Even now, with things apparently calming down and on the verge of returning to normal, he was still showing he cared and that right there, had her feeling like she was in cloud nine.

It was a good feeling, and even though she still had that old fear of having him turn to her to tell her he thought better of it and didn’t want to waste his time with someone like her, she was still enjoying every second of it.

The smiles that passed between one another, the small touches he would give her from time to time… and yes, the frustration of him not grabbing her face to kiss her senseless.

Part of her was glad he was being respectful enough to slow down their pace, but at the same time, she wanted to feel the same tingle in her stomach she felt that morning when she woke up in his arms, his scent invading all her senses and the warmth of his body filling her in.

He didn’t even have to kiss her, but maybe a hug or anything that would have him being close to her. After all, they were not going to see each other for a couple of days, and she wanted to drench herself with everything that was him before they parted ways.

“So, what are your plans for today?”

Smiling as Robin’s words brought her back to reality, Regina looked at him and shrugged, her eyes taking in the way he rested his shoulder against the frame of the office’s door. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll go to the station and do this live Gold wants to air tonight.”

“What? No, there’s no way I’m going to let you go to the station. It’s Christmas Eve, Regina.”

Rolling her eyes in fake annoyance, the brunette shook her head from side to side, a low groan escaping her past her lips. “Well yeah, it’s Christmas Eve, but there was a coup last night, the Prime Minister is dead, there is still a lot of civil unrest taking over the country, and the National Guard is now patrolling the streets. I don’t know what you think about it, but there’s plenty of work to do.”

“Yes, and there are plenty of reporters who would kill to cover all those events, so let them do it. You don’t  _ need  _ the spotlight.”

Regina fought the urge to cringe at his words, as she didn’t want to come out and say that she wanted to go and work because she had nowhere else to go. It wasn’t about having the spotlight, but more about not wanting to spend another Holiday alone in her apartment. 

“Besides, it’s still crazy outside. You heard it on the radio, some of Leopold’s Royalists are still out and about creating chaos, and with them looking for someone to blame for their King’s demise, they can end up targeting you. It was proven last night how the station is not the safest place, so no, I can’t let you go there.”

Knowing that he was right with that point, Regina sighed. “Fine, then I’ll stay here and eat everything out of that vending machine. Maybe by the time your friend comes back, he’ll find me in a sugar coma.”

Her sarcasm didn’t throw him off, and instead, Robin chuckled. 

“I think you have to be diabetic to get into a sugar coma.”

“Well… I might end up being diabetic here. Did you check the nutritional contents of the things you’ve been feeding me?” 

Running his tongue across his lips, Robin moved away from the door. He walked towards her in an almost predatory way, and when he was close enough, he lifted a hand to brush her hair behind her ear. 

“Or you can come with me to the cabin. You’ll be safe and warm... and I’ll make sure to feed you something better than whatever is in that vending machine.”

Scoffing, Regina rolled her eyes, her attention completely focused on the way his hands settled against her waist. “Sure… right.” As if he would want her to crash his time with his son.

Smiling his dimple smile, Robin pulled her a little closer, his fingers burning through the fabric of her dress. “Why, I’m being serious here. I'm a cook, did I tell you about that?”

Regina’s eyes narrowed, and for some reason, she felt her heart skip a beat. Not because of how mellow his voice came out or even because his face was a breath away from hers, but because of what he was implying.

The cabin was at least two hours away from Storybrooke, so if she went with him, she would probably have to spend the night and celebrate Christmas with him as well.

“Don’t be silly, you know I can’t go with you.”

Sliding one of his hands up her back and then into her hair, Robin pressed his forehead against hers. “Why not?”

Regina’s eyes moved down to his lips, noticing that cocky grin he loved to use against her. “Because… it’s Christmas Eve and you’re going to be with your son.”

“And?”

“What do you mean  _ ‘and _ ?’ I’m a stranger to him and having me there can make him feel uncomfortable.”

“Trust me, that kid of mine will be nothing but ecstatic about showing the cabin to someone new. Little John had become less and less enthusiastic about going there, and his apathy throws Roland off. He won’t be uncomfortable at all. Besides, there’s only one way you won’t be a stranger to him, and that's by meeting him.”

Blowing a breath out of her mouth, Regina blinked a couple of times, her heart swelling in her chest. “I don’t know what to say.”

Hell, she didn’t even know what to feel. Part of her was freaking out that he wanted her to go with him and meet Roland, and another one was touched for these exact same reasons.

“You don’t have to say anything. You just have to come with me, eat my food and maybe, just  _ maybe  _ take part in my little family tradition of cutting down a tree to decorate it with a bunch of ugly crap we’ve been collecting through the year. I think we’ll be doing old Hot Wheels tonight.”

“Robin… I can’t meet your son wearing last night’s clothes. And look at me, I’m a mess… I haven’t brushed my hair and my make-up is all gone… and these sneakers are hideous. I just- I can’t.”

God… she still didn't have a bra.

“You know Roland is four, right? So I don’t think he’ll be taking notice of anything but your socks.”

Closing her eyes, Regina wrinkled her nose. “That’s not helping, you know?”

Kissing her lips briefly, Robin hummed. “You look gorgeous. The most stunning creature ever to grace this planet. How about that, does it work?”

“No, because you are lying.”

“I’m not.” With that said, he pressed his lips back to hers, this time pressing a little harder.

In response and looking for something more than the sweet little pecks they had been exchanging since the night before, Regina parted her lips into the kiss, a silent invitation that he immediately accepted.

He didn’t rush it though, and just limited himself to brush his tongue slowly against her lips. 

The caress made Regina sigh, her hand curling to the back of his neck. Probably taking that as his green light, Robin pushed into her mouth, his tongue sliding against hers as his hands moved to her hips.

He kissed her slow but deep, making Regina melt with the sensation. But then, he was pulling away, his eyes intently burning into hers. “Come and spend the Holidays with us.”

She did. For some reason, she let Robin convince her of getting into a beat-up truck Little John had in the shop’s garage, and she went with him. She didn’t even insist that much when he told her they couldn’t make a stop at her apartment to change and pack a bag. 

They just drove, leaving the mess of Storybrooke behind and heading straight towards Robin’s cabin in the outskirts of town. 

When they arrived, she was a bundle of nerves, and it took her at least ten extra minutes of trying to fix her hair before she was able to to get out of the car.

“I told you already, you look stunning.”

Sending a sideway glance his way, Regina groaned. She was about to respond, but before she could even open her mouth, a little boy came running out of the cabin at full speed, and for some reason, she suddenly got intimidated.

She even had the palms of her hands sweating, and as she watched the progress of the boy advanzing forward, she gave into the urge of wiping them hard against the jacket she was still wearing.

“Papa! You’re here!”

Laughing and his whole face lighting up, Robin bent down a little, receiving the boy in his arms when he forcefully clashed against him. “Of course I’m here. You really thought I was going to miss Christmas Eve with you?”

“You almost miss it!"

“I know, and I’m sorry.” Lifting the boy up Robin kissed his head and hugged him tight.

"It's okay, Papa." Roland hugged him back, giggling when Robin sounded a kiss to his cheek. 

Sighing as she watched the scene unfolding right in front of her, Regina's heart melted right on the spot. It was obvious those two loved each other like crazy and being able to see it hit her right in the feels.

They were just too sweet together, and she couldn’t help but to smile at the sight of them. 

Turning to face her, Robin winked. “Now listen, I brought over a very special friend of mine, so you want to say hello?”

“Kay.” Without letting his father make the introductions, Roland turned his head to her and smiled the same dimple smile Robin had. “Hi, I’m Roland, and I'm gonna turn five in…” Lifting his hand, he counted on his fingers, showing her four, then two, and finally three. “three months.”

Unable to help it, Regina laughed. “Hi, Roland. I’m Regina, and I forgot how old I’m going to turn next.”

Roland slapped a hand to his forehead. “You don’t keep count?”

“Hey, what did I tell you about asking people inappropriate questions?” Robin whispered a little too loud as he put the boy back down.

Without missing his smile, Roland shrugged. Then he went straight ahead to grab Regina’s hand. “Want me to show you the cabin? My Papa and I paint it the other day, but we did not tell my Granny. It’s gonna be a surprise when she comes back from her trip somewhere. You can see it first if you want to.”

Lifting her eyes to Robin, Regina pouted, letting him know with that look that she was already in love with his son. He smiled back knowingly.

Lowering her eyes back to Roland, Regina wrinkled her nose.

“Yes, I would love to.”

“Kay.” Roland said simply, pulling at her hand so that she would follow him. “I like your socks.”

Behind her back, Regina could hear Robin laughing. “You know, Regina lost her bag so we will have to give her some clothes to wear; so how about we make her match those socks with that sweater Granny knitted for you and that ended up being too big?”

“Oh, yes, yes! I’ll get it!” Letting go of her hand and running back inside the cabin, Roland started to call for Little John, talking fast and loud about socks, trees and sharing his sweater.

“I hate you so much right now. You need to know that.”

Wrapping his arms around her from behind and kissing her shoulder, Robin laughed. “No you don’t.”

Smiling because he was right, Regina threw her head back and pressed her face against his cheek. She closed her eyes as she did so, breathing into the fresh scents of pines and earth and all the nice things she was going to forever associate with him. 

So no, she didn’t hate him… she was actually quite sure she was close to loving him.

She definitely loved the way he made her feel, so whole and appreciated, and having him make her feel like that, was everything to her in that moment.

The sensation was new and exciting, so spending Christmas Eve with him and his boy, and then Christmas, was definitely going to turn her entire world upside down, and she couldn't wait for it...

The End.   
  



End file.
